The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop for all American Airlines flights on Christmas Eve due to a “technical issue.”

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.

All American Airlines flights nationwide were halted Tuesday morning. Why it matters: The nationwide outage threatens to snarl traffic on Christmas Eve for the world's largest carrier. Catch up quick: Bloomberg reported the airline may be experiencing a software issue.