Airport Says Steps Underway To Monitor Tarmac Time
ANN REALTIME REPORTING 03.18.08 1730
EDT: Things are a mess in north Texas right now, as the
area continues to be pounded by a strong springtime thunderstorm
that's dumped as much as four inches of rain on the DFW metroplex,
and produced two funnel clouds over DFW International
Airport Tuesday morning.
So far, carriers serving DFW have reportedly cancelled upwards
of 1000 flights due to weather... and an untold number
of flights inbound to the airport have been diverted.
Representatives with DFW tell ANN the north Texas airport's
Emergency Operation Center will continue to operate throughout the
night Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, to assist thousands of
passengers left stranded by powerful and ongoing spring
thunderstorms that began early Tuesday morning.
The strong weather pattern that currently stretches from South
Texas to the Great Lakes has also left passengers stranded in
dozens of cities across the US.
The FAA lifted a ground stop at DFW Tuesday afternoon, and
approximately 30 aircraft per hour were able to depart. Ongoing
lightning and strong winds may ground more flights as the night
goes on, however.
"This is one of the most vicious thunderstorms DFW has seen in
quite some time, especially its ongoing intensity," said Ken Capps,
vice president of public affairs for DFW. "Add in two snow storms
in the past two weeks and this has been one of the most unusual
early spring weather patterns in years. We know it can be
frustrating for passengers, but everyone’s top priority is
their safety."
DFW had been preparing for the storm for more than 24 hours, and
was ready with additional personnel and emergency plans to handle
the storm. DFW concessionaires planned to stay open throughout the
night to assist passengers, and the airport will make available
cots and other services to those forced to stay the night.
The airport has monitored tarmac time of all aircraft throughout
the day and assisted airlines in returning some planes and
passengers to terminals -- an apparent step towards avoiding the
negative press such on-tarmac strandings
attract.
Earlier Tuesday, winds reported at 90 knots -- over 100 mph --
lashed the airfield. DFW’s two FAA towers reported two funnel
cloud sightings, causing brief evacuations. Passengers were also
warned to stay away from windows as high winds and heavy lightning
grounded most flights.
DFW is posting its weather alerts on its website, and urges
passengers to monitor the Web site’s Flight Tracker feature
to check arrival and departure information though Wednesday
morning. The airport will continue to monitor the weather situation
and will provide updates as needed.