Technical problems at a regional air traffic control center are increasing departure delays at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reports.

The disruption affects both of the metroplex's major commercial airports. DFW, the primary hub for American Airlines, and Love Field, the base of operations for Southwest Airlines, depend on the regional ATC facility to sequence departing traffic. When equipment at that facility fails or degrades, controllers typically fall back on manual spacing procedures, which reduce the rate at which aircraft can be released.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which operates the en-route and terminal radar facilities serving North Texas, has not yet detailed the specific system affected or provided a restoration timeline, according to the report. Airlines operating at the two airports have not released revised cancellation figures tied specifically to the outage.

For carriers, the timing matters. DFW handles one of the busiest departure banks in the country, with American running tightly sequenced connecting waves through the hub. Ground delay programs and metering at a facility of this scale push costs quickly — holding fuel, crew duty-clock pressure, and knock-on delays to downstream flights — while Love Field's high-frequency Southwest operation leaves little slack in the schedule to absorb spacing restrictions.

Passengers should expect departure delays to build through the day as backlog accumulates, and should check flight status with their airline before traveling to either airport.

The FAA has said it will provide updates as technicians work to resolve the technical issue at the regional center.