American Airlines has lifted a ground stop that lasted for an hour, affecting all domestic flights. This decision comes in response to a technical issue, as indicated by a notice on the website of the US aviation regulator.
The airline has yet to reveal the exact cause behind the suspension. Numerous travelers have taken to social media to share their experiences of aircraft remaining stationary on runways at different airports before being instructed to return to terminals.
The company addressed a stranded passenger on X, stating, “An estimated timeframe has not been provided, but efforts are underway to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
The carrier’s shares experienced a decline of 3.8% in pre-market trading. The US Federal Aviation Administration’s website reported that the company had requested a nationwide ground stop, but did not provide further details.
As of 7:30 am ET, the airline has yet to release an official statement on its social media platforms, opting instead to respond to individual comments on X, Bluesky, and Facebook.
One passenger expressed their frustration, stating, “Hey, @AmericanAir, just let us know if we should head home or not.” Travelers express their frustration, urging authorities to avoid prolonged waits at the airport.
American Airlines operates thousands of flights each day, serving over 350 destinations in more than 60 countries worldwide.
Recent disruptions in the airline industry have been attributed to technical issues associated with Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform and complications involving CrowdStrike software.
Two years ago, Southwest Airlines faced a significant systems failure during the holiday season, leading to the cancellation of 16,900 flights and impacting 2 million passengers. A £140 million fine was imposed, marking the largest civil penalty ever for travel disruption.
