Millions of travelers faced a brief disruption to air travel as American Airlines’ flights were grounded due to a reported technical issue affecting its entire system, but operations have now resumed.
US Airline Flights Resume After Brief Technical Issue
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered all American Airlines flights grounded in the US due to a reported technical issue affecting its entire system. A software fault caused boarding passes to be unable to be scanned at the gates, resulting in a brief disruption to air travel.
Impact on Travelers Ahead of Christmas Eve
Millions of people were traveling ahead of Christmas Eve, making the timing of the technical issue particularly problematic. The airline had requested a “nationwide groundstop,” which was acknowledged by the FAA on its website. American Airlines asked passengers for their continued patience in a social media comment.
Flights Resume After Brief Disruption
After about an hour, the FAA allowed American Airlines flights to return to flying. However, the airline has not provided any explanation for the technical issue or the software fault that caused it. The incident is likely to cause inconvenience to travelers who were already facing heavy air traffic on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
