Heavy travel day off to a rough start after American Airlines briefly grounds all flights

MIAMI – American Airlines flights were cleared to fly by regulators early Tuesday after a brief grounding due to systemwide technical issue.

Just before 7 a.m. Eastern time, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered all American Airlines flights grounded in the U.S. at the airline’s request. American had reported a technical issue affecting its entire system with millions traveling for the holiday.

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The airline confirmed the glitch in a statement, saying, “We’re currently experiencing a technical issue with all American Airlines flights. Your safety is our utmost priority. Once this is rectified, we’ll have you safely on your way to your destination.”

Among those affected was a Miami-bound flight from Texas, where a passenger told Local 10 News reporter Liane Morejon that her plane was unable to depart.

“The pilot told us it’s the software that calculates the baggage weights for each flight, so no one can take off,” the passenger said.

The issue prompted delays and concerns among holiday travelers hoping to make it home in time for Christmas.

Noon report:

“I was a bit surprised this morning. I was like, ‘Please don’t cancel — I’m trying to get home for Christmas,’” said Louis Jean, a passenger affected by the disruption.

American Airlines officials apologized for the inconvenience and assured customers that teams were working swiftly to resolve the issue.

Local 10 News reached out to the airline to see how the glitch is affecting passengers at airports in South Florida.

“Given that American Airlines is reporting a system issue on X, their operation at our airport is likely impacted until the matter is resolved. Passengers traveling on AA from FLL today should therefore keep in close contact with AA for updated flight status before coming to the airport as there could be delays,” said FLL Public Information Officer Arlene Satchell in a statement to Local 10 News.

At Miami International Airport, 14 delays were reported Tuesday, but no cancellations were recorded, according to FlightAware.com. Nearby Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport experienced 13 delays and one cancellation.

A post on the Federal Aviation Administration’s website acknowledged the airline’s request for a “nationwide groundstop” for all American Airlines planes and their subsidiary airlines.

The groundings couldn’t come at a worse time for the millions of travelers expected to fly over the next 10 days.

The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers over the holidays and through Jan. 2, 2025.

American Airlines released a statement after the technology issue was resolved, which you can read below.

“A vendor technology issue briefly affected flights this morning. That issue has been resolved and flights have resumed,” an AA spokesperson stated. “We sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this morning. It’s all hands on deck as our team is working diligently to get customers where they need to go as quickly as possible.”

Upgrades at MIA Bring Improvements

Despite Tuesday’s hiccup, travelers at MIA are seeing better conditions this holiday season compared to last year.

On Monday, MIA Director Ralph Cutie gave Local 10 News an exclusive tour of recent improvements, including repairs to people movers, elevators, and escalators.

After years of neglect left 15% of these devices out of service, only 5% now require repair or replacement. About 95% of these systems are now operational, up from 85% in 2022.

Additionally, new high-tech ticket counters are under construction, and a new parking garage is being built to accommodate the growing number of passengers passing through MIA.

Additional info:

• The technology issue impacted systems needed to release flights.
• The ground stop lasted approximately one hour.
• Customers can find the latest information on their flight using the mobile app and aa.com.

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