(NewsNation) — American Airlines experienced system-wide technical difficulties that grounded flights around the country Tuesday, just as passengers try to reach their holiday destinations.
The carrier lifted the order after initially issuing a statement saying it was working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and apologized for any inconvenience travelers may experience.
The airline said Tuesday morning that the ground order lasted about an hour after a vendor technology issue briefly affected flights. The technology affected American Airlines systems that are needed to release flights, the airline said.
“That issue has been resolved and flights have resumed.” the airline said. “We sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this morning. It’s all hands on deck as our team is working diligently to get customers where they need to go as quickly as possible.”
While the ground order was lifted, flights at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport – a main hub for American – are grounded until 11 a.m. CT due to storms in the area, the airline said. In other related weather ground stop orders, passengers flying out of LaGuardia Airport in New York were under an order until 9:15 a.m. CT due to snow, ice and low visability.
Travelers are asked to contact the airline for the most accurate travel updates on their flight.
The outage took place as an estimated 7.85 million people are expected to fly as part of their holiday travel plans, according to the American Automotive Association.
According to the flight tracking service, FlightAware, an estimated 300 American Airlines flights around the country were being affected by the ground stop order.
This is a developing story. It will be updated as more information becomes available.