Storms and IT Outage Cause Nationwide Flight Chaos

A combination of severe thunderstorms, hail, and high winds, along with a major technology outage at American Airlines, caused extensive flight disruptions across the United States. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport saw nearly 500 flight cancellations and hundreds of delays, forcing ground stops and air traffic control tower evacuations. Delta Air Lines was the hardest hit by the storms, inspecting about 100 aircraft for hail damage and warning of continuing delays. At the same time, American Airlines suffered a systemwide outage that halted nationwide departures, stranding passengers and disrupting maintenance, booking, and baggage systems, though no American flights were outright canceled. The dual impact of weather and technical failures left thousands of travelers stranded and created one of the most chaotic travel weekends of the summer. Airlines urged patience as they worked to restore normal operations.