American Airlines is expecting delays during the holidays as a major software problem keeps hundreds of planes on the ground.
The carrier told me The independent It was announced on Friday that a software change affected 209 Airbus A320 jets, down from the 340 initially identified.
As of Friday evening, fewer than 150 affected aircraft still need to have their software updated.
“We expect the vast majority of those (software updates) to be completed today and overnight, with only a handful remaining tomorrow,” American Airlines said.
The software issue comes at a chaotic time for airlines as 6 million U.S. travelers fly domestically over Thanksgiving, according to estimates from the American Automobile Association.
American Airlines is expecting holiday delays after a major software glitch grounded hundreds of planes (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)
“Safety will always be our top priority and we thank our customers for their patience during this unexpected event,” the carrier said.
Delta Air Lines also expects some of its aircraft to be affected by the software problem.
“As safety comes first, Delta will fully comply with a directive and expects any resulting operational impact to be limited,” the airline told USA TODAY.
The software problem comes as 6 million U.S. travelers take to the skies over the Thanksgiving holiday (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
In total, more than 3,700 flights within, to or from the US were delayed and nearly 100 more were canceled on Friday, according to data from FlightAware.
This is the latest problem facing American travelers after the longest government shutdown in U.S. history caused massive delays and cancellations last month.
American Airlines was recently in the news after one of its planes en route to Phoenix had to make an emergency landing in Houston following reports of fumes in the cabin and cockpit.
Four flight attendants and one passenger were taken to the hospital as a precaution, American Airlines said.
