Texas storms snarl flights at Dallas airports

Stormy weather in Texas has snarled flights at Dallas / Fort Worth, creating headaches for travelers flying to, from or through that busy U.S. airport on Friday.More than 420 flights – about 180 departures and 240 arrivals – had been canceled there as of 3:50 p.m. ET, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. That represented about 20% of the airport’s entire daily schedule. And another 600 of Friday's flights had been delayed. Together that represents about half of the day’s flights at DFW, according to the Flight Awaredata.

DFW, of course, is the biggest hub for American Airlines, now the world’s biggest airline following its merger with US Airways.Flight delays also were being reported at Dallas Love Field, the smaller of the two Dallas-area airports. Southwest operates a major base from Love Field.Cancellations were relatively minor there – just about 2% of the day’s schedule, according to Flight Aware – but delays were more problematic. Nearly 30% of Friday’s flights were running behind schedule as of 3:50 p.m. ET.Flight schedules also appeared to be affected at other airports in Texas. About 10% of the day’s flights had suffered delays at the Houston Bush Intercontinental, Austin and San Antonio airports as of 3:50 p.m. ET, according to Flight Aware. Passengers flying through the region on Friday should check ahead to confirm the status of their flights. Additionally, travelers should be prepared for possible ripple effects.The poor weather in Texas could affect flights in parts of the country where the weather is fine. For example, a flight from Washington, D.C., to Chicago could become delayed or canceled if the crew or aircraft scheduled to fly that flight gets bogged down in stormy Texas.