Technical issues hampered the airline’s operations on one of the busiest travel days of the year. Holiday travelers flying with American Airlines experienced widespread Christmas Eve disruptions on Tuesday after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that the airline had grounded all of its flights nationwide.

American Airlines requested a nationwide ground stop, which was later canceled, on the morning of Christmas Eve due to technical problems.

Christmas Eve is one of the busiest days of the year for American aviation, with the FAA reporting 41,028 commercial flights took place on the day in 2023. Disruption during the day could have a severe impact on customers who are hoping to spend Christmas with family or friends.