FAA grounds all American Airlines flights nationwide due to IT issue; ground stop lifted shortly after connectivity restored

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented a nationwide ground stop for American Airlines flights on Tuesday evening due to a systemwide IT outage that disrupted operations. The ground stop, which began at approximately 6:29 p.m. ET, was lifted shortly after connectivity was restored.¹

An airline spokesperson stated, "A technology issue briefly impacted connectivity for some of our systems on Tuesday evening," confirming that the airline had to take immediate action. The temporary ground stop was necessary as teams worked to resolve the issue, with American Airlines apologizing for the inconvenience caused to customers.

Despite the restoration of connectivity, the airline faced significant operational challenges, particularly in Charlotte, where restrictions remained in place due to a backlog of flights. According to FAA updates, ground delays for arriving flights increased significantly, with average delays climbing from 24 minutes to 49 minutes. The FAA also indicated a 30% to 60% chance that the localized ground stop in Charlotte could be extended beyond its scheduled end time.⁴⁵

American Airlines confirmed that system connectivity had been fully restored, allowing flights to resume departing again. However, the impact of the outage was felt across the carrier's network, affecting both American Airlines and its regional affiliates.