DALLAS/FORT WORTH, October 3, 2026 — Update to our October 2 story. The storm disruption at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) eased sharply on Friday. A FlightAware-based tally showed 27 cancellations at DFW by mid-afternoon on October 2, down from 321 at a similar point on Thursday. Delays were still widespread, and non-revs should expect the Thursday backlog to keep standby lists long through the weekend.
What changed since yesterday
Yesterday we reported more than 200 Thursday cancellations at DFW and said no Friday count was available. Both figures have now been filled in by Travel And Tour World, which compiled snapshots from FlightAware:
| Airport | Thursday, Oct. 1 (1:42 p.m. ET) | Friday, Oct. 2 (2:28 p.m. ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) | 321 cancellations, 999 delays | 27 cancellations, 389 delays |
| Dallas Love Field (DAL) | 20 cancellations, 261 delays | 13 cancellations, 90 delays |
| Austin (AUS) | 12 cancellations, 163 delays | 7 cancellations, 230 delays |
| Houston Intercontinental (IAH) | 15 cancellations, 168 delays | 7 cancellations, 117 delays |
Counts are snapshots at the times shown and kept changing through each day. Other trackers reported different Thursday totals.
- Friday at DFW: about 16% of departures and 19% of arrivals were running late at mid-afternoon.
- American Airlines: 137 cancellations and 775 delays across its network on Thursday, falling to 16 cancellations and 582 delays on Friday. Regional partner Envoy Air had 80 cancellations on Thursday.
- Why Friday was still slow: the report cites continuing weather, plus aircraft and crews left out of position by Thursday’s storms. The FAA’s Friday air traffic report warned that thunderstorms could delay flights at DFW, Dallas Love Field, Austin, Houston (IAH and HOU) and San Antonio.
- Austin: delays rose on Friday, with 26% of departures and 29% of arrivals late. Runway construction is cutting capacity there and the FAA used a ground delay program.
- Saturday, October 3 figures: TBA.
- Airline waiver extensions beyond October 1: TBA. None of the sources we opened today confirmed one.
What it means for non-revs
- The worst is over, but the backlog is not. Passengers from more than 300 cancelled Thursday flights were still being re-accommodated on Friday and into the weekend. Expect American flights through DFW to show fewer open seats than usual through at least Sunday.
- Check loads right before you leave for the airport. Flights can go from open to full quickly while rebooked passengers are being moved.
- Take the first flight of the day. It gives you the most later departures to roll to if you do not clear.
- Austin is not an easy alternative. It had the highest share of delayed flights of the four Texas airports on Friday, and its runway construction is ongoing.
- Leave long connections. With roughly one in five DFW arrivals late on Friday, tight connections are a misconnect risk.
- Carry on. Bags checked on a standby itinerary are hard to chase during a recovery.
Sources
- Travel And Tour World — “Flights Cancelled Throughout America As 169 Cancellations And 3,621 Delays Impact Travel Across Texas And Others” (October 2 data): travelandtourworld.com
- Travel And Tour World — “Flights Cancelled Over United States As Dallas, Houston, and Others Cancel 433 And Delay 4,115, Impacting Travel Across The Country” (October 1 data): travelandtourworld.com
- FAA — “FAA Daily Air Traffic Report” (Friday, October 2, 2026): faa.gov
