Technical Glitch Disrupts Holiday Travel for Thousands on American Airlines
American Airlines faced a major technical disruption on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024, causing widespread flight delays across the United States.
The airline experienced a system-wide outage that prevented weight and balance calculations company-wide. This led to a nationwide ground stop that lasted approximately one hour. The technical issue affected over 3,300 scheduled domestic flights during one of the busiest travel days of the year.
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, only 37% of American Airlines flights departed on time Tuesday, with just 36% achieving on-time arrivals. However, 93% of flights eventually took off within two hours of their scheduled departure time, and the airline managed to avoid substantial cancellations.
“It’s all hands on deck as our team is working diligently to get customers where they need to go as quickly as possible,” the airline stated. The disruption affected passengers nationwide, with travelers reporting delays of approximately 90 minutes and flights returning to gates.