By Jordan Valinsky, CNN
New York (CNN) — American Airlines said a “technical issue” is delaying all of its flights in the United States during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
“A technical issue is affecting American flights this morning,” an airline spokesperson told CNN. “Our teams are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, and we apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”
The Federal Aviation Administration posted a nationwide groundstop order for all American flights, according to an advisory notice. The FAA in a statement said American Airlines requested a nationwide ground stop but it referred all questions to the airline for more information.
David Myers, a 62-year-old disaster consultant traveling from from Salisbury, Maryland, to New Orleans with a layover in Charlotte said he was first alerted to the issue at 6 am Tuesday morning. He and his wife are trying to spend Christmas with their children.
“It’s Christmas Eve, so complaining doesn’t seem quite right,” Myers told CNN. “And safety always comes first. But more information at the gate would be helpful.”
Customers on social media began complaining early Tuesday morning that some flights were returning to their gates and that delays are about 90 minutes.
“Captain says @AmericanAir software outage preventing weight & balance calculations ‘company-wide’ with no estimate on resolution. Flights unable to depart as a result. Not a good start to Christmas Eve travel!,” a person posted on X.
In a video posted from Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida, an agent is heard saying “our system is down” and they are keeping passengers on the gate.
An AA representative on X said an “estimated timeframe has not been provided.”
American Airlines’ (AAL) stock fell nearly 3% in premarket trading.
The-CNN-Wire
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