American Airlines reported a widespread “technical issue” on Christmas Eve morning, Dec. 24. The Federal Aviation Administration said the airline requested a ground stop for all its U.S. flights.
American Airlines responded to worried travelers on X, saying, “Your safety is our utmost priority, once this is rectified, we’ll have you safely on your way to your destination.” The airline lifted the nationwide ground stop around 8 a.m. ET, but no further details on the “technical issue” have been released.
American Airlines said it was expecting to fly nearly 12.7 million customers during the holiday period from Dec. 18 to Jan. 6.
The Transportation Security Administration said it expects to screen nearly 40 million travelers from Dec. 19 to Jan. 2, a more than 6% increase from the same time last year.