On October 25, 2024, American Airlines temporarily grounded its U.S. flights due to a technical issue linked to a network hardware problem involving its flight operating system, causing over 1,000 delays and 90 cancellations. The ground stop lasted less than an hour and affected more than 40% of its schedule. In addition to the technical problems, thunderstorms in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the airline’s biggest hub, contributed to further disruptions. The airline apologized for the inconvenience and clarified that the issue was resolved before flights resumed. Airlines’ critical technology systems have faced increased scrutiny following previous operational failures.
