CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Thousands of people were stranded at Charlotte Douglas International Airport after a technical issue canceled dozens of American Airlines flights in and out of the Queen City Thursday evening.
The airline said about 120 flights were canceled in the Queen City out of 275 company-wide. The problem, American said, stemmed from a glitch with its regional carrier, PSA Airlines.
Frustrated passengers scrambled to find other travel plans. Some found new airlines; others took matters into their own hands.
"We waited around, and they said 7 o'clock we'd be able to get back on," one passenger told NBC Charlotte. "That got canceled as well, so they told us 6 p.m., but we weren't willing to wait around for that, so we're just having someone drive and pick us up from Ohio."
Those who were forced to wait it out spent their time at the airport demanding answers from American.
"Hey @AmericanAir what’s with the delay for AA5099 BNA-CLT? Plane hasn’t left CLT. They say weather in CLT but radar is clear 🤷🏼♀️ what gives?" said Sara D.
Around 9:15 p.m, American Airlines tweeted this statement: "PSA Airlines, an American Airlines regional carrier, experienced a technical issue that caused them to cancel their flights for the remainder of the evening. Our team is working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and accommodate customers."
Here is the full statement emailed to NBC Charlotte:
PSA Airlines, an American Airlines regional carrier, experienced a technical issue that has caused them to cancel their flights for the remainder of the evening. The total number of canceled flights is approximately 275 (about 120 in CLT).
Our team, in coordination with PSA, is working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and take care of our customers by accommodating them on mainline flights or other regional carriers.
We never want to disrupt our customers’ travel plans, and we are sorry for the trouble this caused. Our customer relations team will be reaching out to all of those who have been impacted by this issue.
Customers are encouraged to check their flight status on the American Airlines app before heading to the airport.
Airline officials told NBC Charlotte they provided hotel vouchers to stuck passengers and reimbursed travelers for canceled flights. The cause of the glitch was under investigation.
American Airlines announced in a statement that PSA plans to resume normal operations at 12 p.m. Friday.
Our team members are focused on taking care of our customers by accommodating them on mainline flights or other regional carriers. PSA canceled 275 flights on June 14 and 300 flights June 15.
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