NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 02:33 ET — Market closed
- American Airlines shares ended Monday down about 2% as Winter Storm Ezra disrupted U.S. air travel.
- Flight delays, fee waivers and higher oil prices kept pressure on the sector into year-end trading.
- Traders are watching storm recovery updates, Fed minutes due Tuesday and the airline’s next earnings window.
American Airlines Group Inc shares fell on Monday as Winter Storm Ezra triggered widespread flight delays and cancellations during the peak holiday travel rush.
The disruption matters now because airlines run close to full capacity late in December, leaving little slack to rebook passengers when weather knocks schedules off track. That can translate quickly into extra costs and lost revenue, even if demand remains strong.
Airlines also have to untangle knock-on effects when planes and crews end up in the wrong cities. AccuWeather meteorologists warned Ezra was set to intensify into a “bomb cyclone” — a fast-deepening storm that can bring hurricane-force winds and heavy precipitation. Reuters
American ended the regular session at $15.14, down about 2% from its prior close, after trading between roughly $15.03 and $15.47. About 44.8 million shares changed hands, according to market data.
Other airline stocks also weakened as investors priced in operational disruption. Delta Air Lines fell nearly 3% in afternoon trading, while United Airlines and American were down about 2% at the time.
Flight-tracking website FlightAware reported nearly 6,000 delays and 751 cancellations as of 3:25 p.m. ET Monday, after weather disruptions since Friday canceled more than 3,600 flights and delayed more than 30,000. The Federal Aviation Administration issued ground stops and warned of delays at several airports as crews cleared snow and ice.
American, United, JetBlue Airways and Delta told Reuters they waived change fees for passengers affected by weather-related disruptions, a step carriers often take to spread demand across later flights and reduce airport congestion.
Fuel costs stayed in focus as oil jumped, a headwind for airlines because jet fuel is typically one of their largest expenses. U.S. crude settled up 2.36% at $58.14 a barrel on Monday, Reuters reported.
The latest weather shock lands as American tries to improve performance and close a profitability gap with larger rivals, including a push into higher-end products and loyalty perks. “American Airlines is not going to turn itself around on a dime,” said Henry Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research Group, in a Reuters interview earlier this month. Reuters
Investors will be watching for signs the storm’s impact bleeds into New Year’s travel, including day-by-day cancellation counts, how quickly schedules normalize and whether the disruption shows up in near-term guidance or cost commentary from the sector.
Before the next session, macro headlines could also steer risk appetite in thin year-end trading. Markets are awaiting the Federal Reserve’s December meeting minutes, which are due later Tuesday and are expected to shed light on internal debate about the 2026 policy path.
On the stock-specific tape, traders have been leaning on the $15 area after Monday’s intraday low near $15.03, with the storm-driven news flow setting the tone into the open. The next major scheduled catalyst is earnings: American is expected to report around Jan. 22, according to Nasdaq’s earnings calendar.
