American Airlines disrupted Christmas Eve travel this morning by temporarily grounding all flights due to technical issues.
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At 6:30 a.m., the airline alerted travelers to a “technical issue affecting all American flights,” offering no further details at the time, according to CNN. Later, the airline attributed the disruption to a “vendor technology issue.”
We have resolved a vendor technology issue that briefly affected flights this morning. We sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and have issued a travel alert to allow for additional flexibility. https://t.co/lAp094H8cx
— americanair (@AmericanAir) December 24, 2024
“A technical issue is affecting American flights this morning,” an American Airlines spokesperson explained to CNN Tuesday morning. “Our teams are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, and we apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”
CNN was the first to report the ground stop, referencing an advisory notice from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). According to the report, an FAA statement revealed that American Airlines had requested the nationwide ground stop. However, they directed further inquiries to the airline for additional details.
Christmas Travelers Flood Social Media After American Airlines ‘Technical Issue’
Christmas travelers took to social media early Tuesday morning to voice frustrations over delays and flight diversions. In a widely circulated video from the crowded Fort Lauderdale airport, an airline staff member is heard announcing over the intercom, “Our system is down,” explaining that crew members could not be boarded.
Announcement from American Airlines as we wait at @FLLFlyer @AmericanAir pic.twitter.com/zL4137ih4g
— Anna McAllister (@annamactv) December 24, 2024
The technical glitch struck at the worst possible moment. An estimated 40 million passengers are expected to pass through airports during the holiday season, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The travel period extends through January 2.
Of course, American Airlines operates thousands of daily flights, connecting over 350 destinations across more than 60 countries.
Meanwhile, this isn’t the first time a major airline has experienced serious technical issues during the busy holiday season. Per Deadline, in 2022, Southwest Airlines suffered a massive operational meltdown, leaving millions of passengers stranded as more than 16,900 flights were canceled. A heavy storm wreaked havoc on the airline’s operations. The severe weather caused widespread staffing shortages as flight attendants and pilots were displaced from their scheduled routes. Meanwhile, passenger luggage piled up, and planes fell behind on de-icing schedules. The chaos ultimately led to Southwest receiving a record $140 million fine from the U.S. government in 2023.