American Airlines and Southwest Airlines recorded over 2,000 flight delays nationwide on Friday, October 23, 2026, according to FlightAware. At 2:05 p.m., American had delayed more than 200 flights at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), while Southwest reported 70 delays at the same time.
Technology Outage Drives American Airlines Delays
American Airlines attributed its delays primarily to a technology provider outage that impacted customers’ ability to book and check in. An airline spokesperson said, “A vendor issue is affecting some customers’ ability to book and check in for flights.” Southwest Airlines confirmed that its delays were unrelated to American’s technology problems.
Delays Across DFW and Love Field Airports
As the dominant carrier
at DFW, American Airlines faced its largest delay volume there, exceeding 200 flights by early afternoon. Southwest’s delays at DFW stood at 70 flights, while operations at both DFW and Dallas Love Field appeared less affected for Southwest. The delays occurred across multiple U.S. airports but specific additional locations were not disclosed.
American Airlines updated its statement shortly after 2:30 p.m., confirming that the vendor issue had been resolved and its systems were operating normally. The airline advised customers to arrive early at airports throughout the day as a precaution.
“We’re working with the technology provider to resolve the issue
as quickly as possible. Customers traveling today should plan to arrive at the airport early. We apologize for the inconvenience,” the American Airlines representative said.
