Major Software Glitch Disrupts American Airlines Fleet
American Airlines is bracing for significant delays throughout the holiday season following a substantial software malfunction that has grounded hundreds of aircraft. The carrier confirmed on Friday that a software update deployed across a considerable portion of its Airbus A320 fleet has impacted approximately 340 planes.
The airline assured passengers that the vast majority of these essential software corrections should be completed by today or tomorrow. However, the timing could hardly be worse for both the airline and travellers.
Thanksgiving Travel Chaos Looms for Millions
This technical setback arrives during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. According to estimates from the American Automobile Association, approximately 6 million US travellers are taking domestic flights over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
While American Airlines has stated it remains intently focused on minimising flight cancellations, it remains uncertain whether the software problem will be completely resolved before the winter holiday travel surge begins in earnest.
Compounding Travel Woes Across the US
Data from FlightAware reveals the scale of Friday's disruption, with nearly 2,800 flights within, into, or out of the United States experiencing delays.
This software issue represents the latest challenge for American travellers, coming just weeks after the longest government shutdown in US history created mass delays and cancellations last month. The situation continues to develop as engineers work to restore full operations.
