Southwest Airlines and American Airlines combined for more than 2,000 flight delays across the United States on Friday, October 23, 2026, according to data from FlightAware.
American Airlines, the largest carrier at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), reported over 200 delayed flights at the airport by 2:05 p.m. local time. The airline faced a vendor technology outage impacting customers’ ability to book and check in for flights, which it said was being addressed with the technology provider.
Southwest Airlines reported 70 delayed flights by 2:05 p.m. local time. Its delays, occurring at both DFW and Love Field airports, were not
linked to the vendor outage affecting American Airlines.
Airline Responses and System Resolutions
American Airlines issued a statement saying, “A vendor issue is affecting some customers’ ability to book and check in for flights.” They added that they were working to resolve the problem swiftly and advised travelers to arrive early. Following the resolution shortly after 2:30 p.m., the airline confirmed its systems “are now operating normally.”
Southwest Airlines clarified that its flight delays were unrelated to the technical issues experienced by American.
Operations appeared more severely impacted for American Airlines at DFW International Airport compared to Southwest’s delays at DFW and Love Field. The
combined disruption affected multiple U.S. airports on October 23, with both airlines contributing to considerable schedule setbacks nationwide.
