If you’re at DFW International Airport or Dallas Love Field airport at the end of May and your travel plans have changed, you’re not alone.
James “Jimmy” Goldstein, who has attended more than 5,000 NBA games, wasn’t courtside to watch the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, while Mesquite resident Shirley Smith and her husband missed a family wedding in Atlanta.
They were among thousands of North Texas travelers who experienced flight cancellations or delays due to severe weather during the last week of May. Of the more than 37,000 flights scheduled for May, 5% were canceled at North Texas airports, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. Many travelers were stranded at airports or forced to return home because flights didn’t take off, particularly during the last few days of May, including Memorial Day weekend.
According to Cirium’s monthly on-time performance report, 11,491 flights were canceled in North America in May. The cancellation rate for the top 100 U.S. airports, which include Dallas/Fort Worth and Love, was 1.23% last month.
Of those, 1,896 were cancelled. Flight, about two-thirds Between May 24 and 31, the region experienced heavy rains, storms, and tornadoes.
Nickname is The term has taken off to describe the impact bad weather has on North Texas airports: “They’re not functional. They’re wet,” said Henry Harteveldt, president of Atmosphere Research Group and a travel industry analyst.
On May 28, more than 500,000 people in North Texas lost power and wind gusts of up to 80 mph caused flights to be disrupted for many passengers at both airports. That day saw a low number of flights that actually reached their destinations (completion rates). At Love Field, only 52.97% of flights made it to their destinations. At Dallas-Fort Worth, 64.11% of flights made it to their destinations.
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Royce called it a severe storm that “lasted for days,” and said Dallas-Fort Worth received just over 4 inches of rain in the last 10 days of May.
“That would certainly cause a lot of disruption to travel,” Royce said.
Winds on May 28 were strong enough to blow over an unmanned parked American Airlines jet. No injuries were reported.
Hartfeldt said having two airports so close to each other, like Dallas/Fort Worth and Love Field, always comes with challenges. The Federal Aviation Administration is tasked with controlling traffic at both airports, but bad weather makes that task even more difficult.
“When we get bad weather, DFW falls apart,” Hartfeldt said. “When we get bad weather in the region, DFW seems to experience a lot more delays and cancellations than they would expect.”
He credits Fort Worth-based American for working with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure safety, including by minimizing ground time during extreme weather events. The FAA requires planes to be lightning-resistant, and the agency requires airlines to include procedures in their maintenance programs for inspections after such weather events.
Traffic is also a challenge for airports, especially in Dallas-Fort Worth at DFW, which is the third-busiest airport in the world by traffic. Love Field is also challenged by growing traffic, but not to the same extent as DFW, Harteveldt said.
Heath Montgomery, vice president of communications and marketing for DFW Airport, said the severe weather in May and early June affected many area residents and businesses.
“Similarly, severe storms disrupted airport operations. The FAA implemented multiple air traffic control programs to safely manage aircraft flows during severe weather, and people working at the airfield were urged to shelter indoors during lightning and other weather-related threats,” Montgomery said in an email. “Airlines manage their own schedules and worked to minimize delays and assist customers under challenging conditions.”
Montgomery said DFW will inspect airfields for debris after severe weather and work with operators to extend hours for affected passengers.
Dallas Department of Aviation spokeswoman Hilda Lopez said the safety and health of passengers at Love Field is a top priority. The airport implemented a severe weather plan during the storm, including monitoring conditions, coordinating with airlines and the FAA, and managing puddles and runways.
“During the storm, which brought high winds and hail, Dallas Love Field staff diligently instructed terminal occupants to stay away from windows to ensure their safety,” Lopez said in an email.
The airport also worked with Oncor, the largest electric grid operator in Texas, and the city to monitor traffic conditions, including out-of-light traffic lights, around roads surrounding the airport during the severe weather.
Severe thunderstorms and other severe weather events have killed more than 1,400 people and caused more than $50 billion in damages in Texas since 1980. Climate scientists warn that the risk and intensity of severe weather in the state is likely to worsen as greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming continue to rise.
“Due to the severe weather in the D-FW area, the airports appear unable to accommodate,” Hartfeldt said.
