American Airlines resumes flights after grounding all domestic operations due to a technical issue, causing inconvenience for travelers on one of the busiest travel days of the holiday season.
Technical Issue Grounds American Airlines Flights
American Airlines resumed operations just about 8 a.m. ET Tuesday after grounding all flights across the country due to a technical issue.
Impact on Busy Travel Day
Tuesday is expected to be one of the busiest travel days of the holiday season, with millions taking to the skies. However, the airline’s earlier ground stop caused inconvenience for travelers who were already preparing for their journeys.
Technical Problem and Resolution
The exact nature of the technical problem that affected American Airlines was not immediately disclosed. The company stated in a statement that the issue involved “a vendor technology problem” that impacted systems needed to release flights. It added, “A vendor technology issue briefly affected flights this morning.” The airline assured customers that the issue has been resolved and flights have resumed.
FAA Advisory and TSA Expectations
An advisory issued by the Federal Aviation Administration showed that American Airlines had requested a full ground stop of its flights just before 7 a.m. ET. The stop lasted for one hour, according to FAA records. Meanwhile, the Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers over the holidays and through January 2.
Flight Resumption and Apology
The airline apologized to its customers for the inconvenience caused by the technical issue, stating that it is working diligently to get customers where they need to go as quickly as possible. The statement concluded with an assurance that “it’s all hands on deck” in addressing the situation.
