Southwest Airlines cancels 78 flights and delays 128 at Chicago Midway International Airport

Disruption overview

Chicago Midway International Airport became the worst-affected airport in the United States on 18 June 2026 after Southwest Airlines canceled 78 departures and delayed 128 more . The disruption started in the morning and was still ongoing by the afternoon, with thousands of passengers waiting for gate changes, rebooking options, and updated boarding times while the airline worked to reposition aircraft and crews. The knock-on effect spread through Southwest’s network to more than 60 U.S. cities, as well as routes to Cancún, Guadalajara, and Punta Cana. Because the problem was tied to the airline’s own operations rather than a clear outside event, some passengers on itineraries touching the European Union could be entitled to up to $650 compensation under EC 261.

Disruption details

Southwest Airlines canceled 78 departures and delayed another 128 flights at Chicago Midway International Airport on 18 June 2026, in a disruption that made Midway the worst-affected airport in the United States that day. For passengers, this meant long lines, shifting gate information, and last-minute changes to journeys that were supposed to start or connect through Chicago.

The problems began in the morning and were still unfolding by the afternoon, with no firm time given for a full return to normal. Southwest and airport teams spent the day trying to clear the backlog and reposition aircraft and crews so the schedule could start moving again.

The scale of the disruption was significant:

• Southwest canceled 78 departures from Midway.

• Another 128 Southwest flights were delayed.

• That left 206 Southwest flights affected in total.

• The knock-on disruption reached more than 60 U.S. cities, plus leisure routes to Cancún, Guadalajara, and Punta Cana.

Because Midway is Southwest’s main Chicago hub, the backlog didn’t stay local for long. Disruption at one airport spilled across the airline’s network to more than 60 U.S. cities, with places including Denver, Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Raleigh, Norfolk, Bozeman, and Savannah all caught up in the delays.

International leisure travelers were affected too. Services linked to Cancún and Guadalajara in Mexico, and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, were also dragged into the disruption as aircraft and crews slipped out of position. Inside the terminal, thousands of passengers were left waiting for gates to open, rebooking options to appear, and boarding announcements to change.

Southwest described the problem in broad terms as operational limitations and an operational bottleneck. No single trigger, such as bad weather, strike action, or an IT outage, was identified, which points to a problem within the airline’s own operation rather than an outside event.

Travelers were told to keep checking the Southwest app, flight-tracking services, and email or text alerts before setting out for the airport. Passengers already at Midway were asked to stay patient while gates and crews were realigned, and Southwest allowed free rebooking for customers who needed to look for alternative routings.

There was no wider FAA ground stop mentioned, and other airlines at Midway weren’t reported to be facing the same level of disruption. Even so, when one airline dominates an airport, problems there can ripple across the schedule quickly, especially at the start of the busy summer travel season, and departure times can keep shifting until the backlog is cleared.

If your Southwest trip was part of an itinerary that touched the European Union, such as a codeshare connection, and your flight was canceled at short notice or arrived more than 3 hours late, you could be entitled to up to $650 compensation under EC 261. U.S. domestic flights follow different Department of Transportation rules on cancellations and delays, but you may still have options such as rebooking or a refund depending on what happened to your booking. If you want to understand your options, you can check your compensation with AirHelp in just 2 minutes.

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