American Airlines Resumes Flights After Nationwide Ground Stop on Christmas Eve

UPDATE

6:59 AM PT -- American Airlines released a statement to ABC News saying, "A vendor technology issue briefly affected flights this morning. That issue has been resolved and flights have resumed."

A collective sigh of relief is sweeping through airports across the country right now after American Airlines resumed flights early this morning, ending a brief but chaotic nationwide ground stop on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

The carrier halted operations early Tuesday saying in a statement on X, American said, "We’re currently experiencing a technical issue with all American Airlines flights. Your safety is our utmost priority, once this is rectified, we’ll have you safely on your way to your destination."

According to the FAA, American requested the ground stop. The grounding caused last minute panic amongst travelers hoping they'd reach their destination in time for the holiday.

Shortly before 8 AM eastern, the airline said they were back up and running. It's currently unclear what caused the technical difficulties.

Safe travels ... and Happy Holidays!!