Charlotte, June 28 - American Airlines, one of the largest carriers in the United States, on June 27, 2025, experienced a significant disruption in its operations due to a technology issue that impacted connectivity across several of its critical systems. The problem, which began surfacing around 1:30 p.m. ET, led to widespread flight delays, affecting passengers at major hubs including Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, Chicago O’Hare, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, and Washington D.C. The airline, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, confirmed the issue in a statement, noting that it was actively working with its partners to resolve the connectivity problem. By late afternoon, American Airlines reported that the affected systems were back online and fully operational, though the ripple effects of the delays persisted for some time.
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The technology issue primarily disrupted systems responsible for essential functions such as flight bookings, check-ins, ticketing, and baggage handling. According to reports, the outage also affected the airline’s maintenance systems, preventing pilots from accessing flight plans, fuel reports, and passenger manifests, which are critical for safe and efficient operations. At least one airport source indicated that the issue persisted for approximately two hours, with systems beginning to recover around 2:45 p.m. ET. Data from FlightAware, a flight tracking service, showed that 32% of American Airlines flights were delayed, totaling 1,194 flights, with 2% canceled, amounting to 98 flights, as of 4 p.m. on June 27. At Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, a major hub for the airline, 570 delays and 19 cancellations were reported, though it remains unclear how many were directly attributable to the technology issue.
American Airlines emphasized that no flights were canceled as a direct result of the technical problem, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the airline did not report any safety concerns that would have necessitated grounding flights. However, the disruption caused significant inconvenience for passengers, with some reporting extended waits on tarmacs, including one instance at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport where a flight from Miami was delayed at the gate for about 50 minutes. The airline issued a statement apologizing to customers for the inconvenience and assured them that operations were returning to normal as systems were restored. The exact cause of the technology issue was not disclosed, and American Airlines did not specify which systems or vendors were involved. This lack of transparency has raised questions about the reliability of the airline’s technological infrastructure, especially given the increasing dependence on digital systems in the aviation industry.
The incident follows a pattern of similar disruptions, including a vendor-related outage on June 2, 2025, which affected booking systems for over four hours. While American Airlines has recently invested in modernizing its technology, including a redesigned mobile app and AI-powered tools to assist with rebooking during disruptions, incidents like this highlight the challenges of maintaining robust systems in a high-stakes operational environment. American Airlines’ swift response, in collaboration with its partners, ensured that the issue was resolved within hours, but the event underscores the vulnerability of airlines to technical glitches. As the industry continues to integrate advanced technologies, such as cloud platforms and automated systems, ensuring their stability remains critical to minimizing disruptions and maintaining passenger trust. The airline has encouraged travelers to monitor its official channels for updates, noting that residual effects, such as rebooking delays, may persist in the days following the outage.