Conference programs may have contributed to long lines at Love Field on Thursday

Another group of unhappy fliers has left Dallas Love Field with a bad aftertaste following Thursday's baggage mess.

Could the problem be traced to something as simple as paper and ink?

Southwest Airlines and Love Field immediately pointed fingers at one another.  Southwest suggested Love Field's scanners for checked baggage were slow.  Love Field shot back that a surge in people leaving the Alpha Kappa Alpha conference were all booked at the same time, overloading the system.

But the problem may also include programs handed out at the conference.

At one point. Love Field sent out a message on X, telling those who had been to the conference "make sure no large conference programs were in your checked bags."

Problems with printed programs have happened at Love Field twice before. Once following a convention and after the most recent NBA All-Star Game held in North Texas

"During the NBA All-Star Game we had huge backups because the programs that were printed set off the scanners for all the luggage," former Dallas Aviation Director Mark Duebner, who was not familiar with the specifics of Thursday's meltdown, said.

Duebner said the density of the paper and the ink that was used, also set off alarms as participants left another convention years ago.

"I think Houston Hobby experienced that at some point, too, where there was some kind of printed material that was in checked bags that caused an alarm. Then the bags had to be hand screened," he said.

Some say they spent three hours in line trying to check bags at ticket counters.

LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube