American Airlines experienced a nationwide flight halt for about an hour on Christmas Eve due to a technical issue impacting the systems required to release planes. The disruption was lifted just before 13:00 GMT, as confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This inconvenience struck on one of the busiest travel days of the year. The airline apologized, stating, "It's all hands on deck as our team is working diligently" to get customers where they need to go. Although the majority of flights resumed on-time, delays of up to two hours lingered at major US airports as the airline navigated the aftermath of the issue. Passengers shared their frustrations on social media, reporting being stuck on the tarmac. A gate agent in Fort Lauderdale announced, “The system is slowly coming back,” as passengers awaited boarding updates. This incident followed previous travel disruptions caused by a global IT crash affecting multiple sectors.