Southwest Airlines experienced a system outage linked to its vendor Amadeus on October 9, 2026, that caused widespread flight delays and cancellations across the United States.
Flight Delays and Cancellations Nationwide
According to FlightAware data, nearly 900 Southwest flights were delayed nationwide by 9:15 a.m. on October 9, while the airline canceled 43 flights due to the outage. At Dallas Love Field airport, there were 56 delays and seven cancellations reported during the same timeframe.
Operational Impacts and Response
The outage affected boarding pass printing and mobile app scanning, forcing Southwest to carry out manual baggage checks and boarding processes. A Southwest Airlines spokesperson confirmed the airline maintained these
manual operations while working to restore full system functionality.
Technology Vendor and Airport Operations
Southwest relies on Amadeus for its reservation and operational systems. Lauren Rounds, spokesperson for the City of Dallas Department of Aviation, said Dallas Love Field’s operations team was informed about an intermittent internal network outage that impacted boarding pass processing and mobile app functions.
Official Statements
A Southwest Airlines representative stated, “Southwest experienced a brief interruption due to a system outage at our vendor, Amadeus. The airline continued to check baggage and board flights manually while full functionality was restored. We apologize to our Customers for any inconvenience and are working to get
them to their destinations as quickly as possible. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees.” Lauren Rounds added, “Love Field’s operations team was told by Southwest that the airline had been experiencing an intermittent internal network outage Friday morning, impacting boarding pass printing and mobile app scanning.”
