Major Carrier’s Technical Issues Strand Holiday Travelers Across United States
In a significant disruption to holiday travel plans, American Airlines has implemented a ground stop for all domestic flights on Tuesday, December 24, creating chaos at airports across the United States during one of the year’s busiest travel periods.
System-wide shutdown
The Federal Aviation Administration‘s website confirmed the grounding order, though the specific nature of the technical issue remains undisclosed by the airline. The sudden halt has left countless passengers stranded at airports nationwide on Christmas Eve.
Reports from affected travelers have flooded social media platforms, with many describing scenes of aircraft returning to gates after being stranded on runways. According to Reuters, the disruption has affected flights at multiple airports across the country.
Airline response
American Airlines has acknowledged the situation but has provided limited details about the cause or expected resolution time. Responding to a stranded passenger on X (formerly Twitter), the airline stated: “An estimated timeframe has not been provided, but they’re trying to fix it in the shortest possible time.”
The timing of this technical failure is particularly problematic, occurring during one of the busiest travel days of the holiday season when millions of Americans are attempting to reach their destinations for Christmas celebrations.
This developing situation represents one of the most significant operational disruptions for American Airlines in recent years, particularly during a critical holiday travel period.