A computer error that caused two of the nation’s largest airlines to temporarily lose critical takeoff information forced flight delays for thousands of passengers nationwide.
Spokeswomen for the two affected airlines, American Airlines and US Airways, said all flights were halted after workers found a problem with their flight operation system about 6 a.m. Central time. Both airlines’ flight operation systems were back up and running before 9 a.m.
The flight operation system provides the airlines with vital information such as the amount of fuel needed for a trip, the aircraft’s flight plans and other information such as food to be served.
“There was never a safety issue,” said Mary Frances Fagan, a Chicago-based spokeswoman for American Airlines. “The good news is it happened on a Sunday morning.”
Those flights in the air during the system shutdown had no problem landing as the computer glitch affected pre-departure operations, said Fagan, who represents Ft. Worth, Texas-based American Airlines.
Adding to the airlines’ problems Sunday was bad weather in the Northeast, which caused flight delays and cancellations, said Amy Kudwa, spokeswoman for Arlington, Va.-based US Airways.
The computer error originated from the airlines’ flight operation system provider, Electronic Data Systems, a Texas-based company, said Jeff Baum, the company’s vice president of external relations. An initial investigation revealed human error caused temporary loss of information, Baum said.
“Some information that was put into the system looked like it caused the error,” Baum said. “We have an aggressive re-evaluation to determine the source of the issue.”
This was the first time such an incident involving these two airlines has taken place, Baum said.
