ROMULUS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Earlier this morning several passengers were impacted across the country as American Airlines flights came to a halt momentarily. The brief disruption caused by a technical glitch even affected travelers at Detroit Metro Airpot, nearly ruining many people’s Christmas Eve.
“Where are you headed to?” I asked traveler Isac Gray.
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“I was headed to Norfolk, but then my flight got delayed, so I won’t be able to make my connection. I’m headed to Richmond at the moment. All thanks to the flights being grounded this morning,” Gray said.
This morning, around 6:45, American Airlines issued an hour-long ground stop due to a technical glitch, which disrupted flights for thousands on Christmas Eve, one of the year’s busiest travel periods. Looking to spend Christmas with family, Isac Gray may have to wait a little longer than expected.
“I mean, it would have been a bummer if these flights had been delayed further or canceled,” I said
“Yeah, absolutely, they were telling me that you may have to wait till tomorrow, which is frustrating because it took me an hour and a half to get here, and I’m just learning about this as I’m pulling into the parking lot,” Isac said.
According to flightaware.com, 6 American Airlines flights were delayed here at DTW, but none were canceled.
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“You got to pray that the travel Gods are with you,” said Patricia Budford, a traveler.
The Budford family arrived from New York on American Airlines, and even though their flight was not impacted, they said this morning that they were worried about missing Christmas breakfast in Windsor.
“Do you feel more so now than before we are seeing more of these glitches?” I asked
“Well you don’t even want to know what happened to us in July,” Patricia said.
Patricia and her family’s hearts sank after seeing thousands of flights canceled due to the global technology outage back in July.
“80% of the flights were cancelled that day and we were able to get on our flight and make it to Disney world on time,” Patricia said.
“it’s kind of concerning, these glitches becoming more and more prevalent, and with the threats of cyber security. Its worrying to say the least.” Isac said
“Anytime you plan a holiday, is this on the back of your mind?” I asked.
“Yes, especially with everything being more digital,” Isac said.
Now, in a statement, American Airlines writes: “A vendor technology issue briefly affected flights this morning. That issue has been resolved, and flights have resumed. 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.
Meanwhile, travel experts say checking your flight status before heading to the airport is always a good idea.