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WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines temporarily halted flights across the country on Tuesday due to a technical glitch just as the holiday travel season was picking up and winter weather posed additional challenges for those planning to fly or drive.
Government authorities permitted American flights to take off approximately one hour after the Federal Aviation Administration mandated a nationwide ground stop, hindering planes from departing.
Meanwhile, the flight-monitoring service FlightAware noted that 1,447 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or headed to domestic destinations, experienced delays on Tuesday, with 28 flights canceled.
An American Airlines employee donning a Santa Claus hat strolls through the American terminal at Miami International Airport on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Aviation analysis firm Cirium stated that Dallas-Fort Worth and Charlotte, North Carolina, witnessed the highest number of delays. Washington, New York, Chicago, and Miami experienced significantly fewer delays.
Heavy rain and snow were anticipated in the Pacific Northwest at least through Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms were forming in the South. Freezing rain was observed in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, while snow was falling in New York.
AP correspondent Julie Walker reports that American Airlines operations have resumed after a technical issue led to grounded flights in the U.S.
Given that the holiday travel season extends for weeks, airports and airlines generally experience less intense peak days compared to the rush surrounding Thanksgiving. However, the relentless pattern of one hectic day after another takes a toll on flight crews. Any disruptions — whether a winter storm or a system outage — can escalate into large-scale disturbances.
This was the case when Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million passengers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines faced a smaller yet notable breakdown after a global technology failure in July caused by a defective software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.
Numerous flights during the holiday season are sold out, rendering cancellations even more problematic than in slower times. This is particularly accurate for smaller low-cost airlines that operate fewer flights and have limited options for rebooking travelers. Only the major airlines, including American, Delta, and United, have “interline agreements” that allow them to place stranded passengers on other carriers’ flights.
American Airlines aircraft are stationed at gates at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Friday, July 19, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
D. Franklin, File)
This marks the initial holiday season since a regulation from the Transportation Department was implemented, mandating airlines to provide customers an automatic cash reimbursement for flights that are canceled or considerably delayed. The majority of air travelers were previously qualified for refunds; however, they frequently needed to initiate a request.
Travelers can still request rebooking, which often serves as a more favorable choice than a refund during peak travel seasons. This is due to the high costs typically associated with securing a last-minute flight with an alternate airline.
Shortly before 7 a.m. Eastern time, the Federal Aviation Administration mandated that all American Airlines flights be grounded within the United States at the request of the airline. American had disclosed technical difficulties affecting its entire operations.
American communicated via email that a technology issue from a vendor was the cause of the problem, which “impacted systems necessary to release flights.”
An airline representative mentioned that Tuesday was not considered a peak travel day — with approximately 2,000 fewer flights compared to the busiest days — providing the airline with some leeway to handle the delays.
Cirium reported that American had 3,320 domestic flights scheduled for Tuesday, along with 581 international departures from or returning to the U.S. from other countries.
The groundings occurred as millions of travelers were anticipated to fly during the upcoming 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration predicts screening of 40 million passengers through January 2.
American Airlines staff, some donned in Santa Claus hats, check in passengers at the American terminal in Miami International Airport, on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Airlines are anticipating their busiest days on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.
Numerous flights during the holiday season are completely booked, causing cancellations to be more disruptive compared to slower travel periods. Even a brief outage can trigger a cascading effect of cancellations that may take several days to resolve.
Approximately 90% of Americans traveling long distances for the holidays will opt for automobiles, according to AAA.
“Air travel is exceptionally high at the moment; however, the majority still drive to their destinations, which holds true for every holiday,” stated AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz.
Gas prices remain comparable to last year. The national average on Thursday was $3.04 per gallon, down from $3.13 a year earlier, as per AAA. Charging a battery electric vehicle costs just below 35 cents per kilowatt hour, although it varies by state.
Transportation-data firm INRIX suggests that travel durations on the country’s highways could be extended by up to 30% above normal during the holiday period, with Sunday anticipated to experience the most traffic. Boston, New York City, Seattle, and Washington are identified as the metropolitan areas likely to face the most significant delays, according to the firm.
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Associated Press writers David Koenig, Mae Anderson, and Mike Pesoli contributed to this report.
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