Americal Airlines fligths grounded by iPad error

American Airlines planes were temporarily affected by the iPad app glitch. An app containing crucial manuals and flight plans which were previously published in a paper format unexpectedly crashed, causing dozens of American Airlines flights to be delayed. 

The error affected multiple planes across the airline's fleet. Airline spokeswoman Andrea Huguely said pilots were having to delete and reinstall the map app. She said 24 flights were delayed on Tuesday night and about 30 on Wednesday.

American Airlines said the app's problem was related to the cellular data connection, and that planes had to return to the gate to access a Wi-Fi connection to resolve the problem.

When the change to virtual manuals was first made, American Airlines said the move helped saved 400,000 gallons of fuel annually due to the decreased weight.

The glitch occurs days after the FBI issued an alert about passengers using the onboard Wi-Fi to bother the flight systems, although there has not been any official suggestion of external interference.

American Airlines is not the only carrier whose pilots and cabin crew have switched from using physical charts and paper manuals to tablets. United Airlines was also an early adopter of iPads, while Delta has opted for Microsoft's Surface tablets instead. British Airways and Ryanair are among others still in the process of shifting to so-called Electronic Flight Bag-based systems.

In addition to saving on fuel costs, it is also suggested that such kit reduces flight preparation time, reduces the likelihood of injuries and helps staff by offering real-time updates.