American Airlines grounds all US flights over ‘technical issue’

24 December 2024, 13:02 | Updated: 24 December 2024, 14:42

Travellers around the world are preparing for Christmas heartache after US flight operator American Airlines grounded all flights to and from the US.

American Airlines has said all flights travelling internally in the US are now cancelled because of an unspecified ‘technical issue’.

The unprecedented news comes as tens of thousands of travellers attempt to make it home in time for Christmas.

The operator hasn’t specified why the issue is restricted to all internal US flights.

Early on Tuesday, the airline said on social media: “An estimated timeframe has not been provided, but they’re trying to fix it in the shortest possible time.”

American Airlines claims it’s trying to fix the problem in the “shortest possible time”.

A groundstop notice halting all aircraft was lifted shortly after it was issued by US aviation authorities, but the likelihood of disruption remains across the country.

Read more: Pilot dies after light aircraft crashes into Scottish field moments after take-off

Read more: Belfast Airport flights cancelled following plane crash during gale-force winds

However, the airline is unable to say when the issue will be resolved – and whether travellers will make it home in time.

It comes as the Federal Aviation Agency said American Airlines was reporting “a technical issue and has requested a nationwide ground stop”.

Passengers around the US have since taken to social media to report having their flights cancelled or delayed, with many travellers noting they are currently stuck on the runway at airports around the US.

Some also reported being disembarked and sent back to their gates.

The airline said in a statement on Tuesday: “A vendor technology issue briefly affected flights this morning. That issue has been resolved and flights have resumed.

“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.”