American Airlines planes sit next to the gates at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, on October 25, 2024.
Joe Laidl | getty images
american airlines Technical problems briefly halted U.S. flights Tuesday morning, sending travel into a tailspin during a period when airlines expect record demand for vacations.
The ground stop was lifted by 7:55 a.m. ET, an American Airlines spokesperson told CNBC. The grounding lasted less than an hour, but more than 900 American Airlines flights on major routes were delayed, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. That was more than 38% of America’s Tuesday schedule and more delays than any other U.S. airline. However, only 11 major route flights were cancelled.
The airline’s subsidiary, regional carrier Envoy, also reported delays to 200 flights. In addition to the initial ground stop, American also faced thunderstorms in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where its largest hub is located.
The problem was a network hardware issue related to a platform using DXC Technology, a vendor that maintains the flight operating system that allows flights to leave the gate, American said in a statement.
The system is linked to critical data, such as the aircraft’s weight and balance, needed before the aircraft leaves the gate.
“The issue has been resolved and flights have resumed,” the airline said in a statement. “We sincerely apologize to our customers for any inconvenience this morning.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said American Airlines requested a ground stop.
Airlines regularly request ground stops to hold flights at their origins, so destination airports aren’t overwhelmed with flights with nowhere to park when a disruption occurs. In addition to technical issues, ground stops have been installed to protect against thunderstorms and other severe weather.
American Airlines was operating a smaller schedule on Christmas Eve compared to other days of the holiday season. An airline spokesperson said there had been no cancellations related to the issue.
The airline’s patchwork system of core technology platforms has been receiving more attention recently following mass flight cancellations. southwest2022 holiday season meltdown and deltastruggle for recovery Crowd Strike There was a power outage last summer.
Correction: A ground stop was issued Tuesday. The timing was listed incorrectly in an earlier version.
