Heidi Fazel, Air Passenger: "I was hustling. I took a cab got here and I didn't know anything about it. Until I made it here and I'm like how come the automated system is not working? Everybody was like you don't know, I was like I don't know."
It's the second time in less than two weeks the Fort Worth, TX based carrier has had to pull their planes out of service due to equipment inspections.
Both times, the airline says it's been a wiring issue which didn't meet FAA standards and that passenger safety was not an issue.
Mary Frances Fagan, American Airlines: "It's a very technical detailed inspection and we're doing all possible to be in compliance and unfortunately we have to make some cancellations."
Other carriers that have grounded planes for the same reason include southwest, united, and delta. Customers of American Airlines are being booked on other flights, but it's clearly not enough to ease the level of frustration most are of those affected are feeling.
Amy Bishop: "We have four kids at home we have to try and make arrangements for and jobs to get back too."
American operates about 2,300 flights a day, and more than one-third of them are MD-80s.
Analysts say the cancellations could not come at a worse time for the airline industry which is facing high fuel costs and a worsening economy which could affect the summer travel season.
The first flight to be cancelled at FYI was departing American Airlines flight 1216 at 6:50 this morning. Flight 470 set to take off at 1:30 was also cancelled. Arrival flights 1885 at 12:40 and 359 at 7:50 Wednesday night were also cancelled.
