DALLAS- American Airlines (AA) flight from New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Tokyo Haneda (HND) diverted to Dallas Fort-Worth Airport (DFW) after being airborne for over 13 hours on March 31, 2025.
Dallas Fort Worth-based carrier, American Airlines operates a daily flight between New York and Tokyo Haneda. Further, it puts its codeshare on Japan Airlines (JL) flights.
Photo: FlightRadar24
American Airlines Flight Diverted to Dallas
According to Flightradar24 data, American Airlines flight AA167 took off from New York JFK at approximately 14:00 UTC. After being airborne for over 7 hours, the flight crew reported that one of the anti-freeze mechanisms installed on the wings had malfunctioned.
At the time of the announcement, the flight was flying over the Pacific Ocean and was at 36,000 feet.
Following this, the pilot decided to divert to Dallas and made a safe landing at 3:12 UTC.
The flight was operated by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, registered as N829AN. Further, it is a 7.7-year-old aircraft powered by GEnX engines.
Photo: Clément Alloing
A passenger onboard reveals that an American Airlines flight bound for Tokyo was forced to return to the United States after experiencing a mechanical issue seven hours into the journey.
According to the firsthand report, the pilot announced a malfunction in the anti-freeze mechanism on one of the wings as the aircraft flew over the Pacific Ocean, necessitating an immediate return to U.S. soil.
After flying an additional six hours in the opposite direction, the diverted flight landed in Dallas. American Airlines provided accommodations for stranded passengers, including hotel rooms and $12 meal vouchers, with a replacement flight scheduled for noon the following day.
The mechanical diversion created significant disruptions for travelers. One passenger expressed frustration over the 13 hours of wasted flight time and the need to adjust vacation plans. Another traveler reportedly missed a scheduled cruise departure due to the delay.
A second passenger on the same flight offered additional details, specifying that the malfunction affected the de-icer for one of the engines, with the announcement coming as the aircraft crossed the Bering Strait. This passenger criticized American Airlines’ handling of the situation, describing it as “extremely poorly and unbelievably disorganized.”
The second account detailed further complications, including missing hotel information emails that forced over 100 passengers to wait an hour in line for accommodation details, followed by another hour-long wait for shuttle transportation. Despite landing at 10 PM, many passengers reportedly couldn’t check into their hotels until 1 AM.
The situation was compounded by food shortages. The airline apparently did not serve the scheduled in-flight meal, and restaurants near the provided hotel were closed, leaving passengers without substantial food for an extended period.
According to the passenger, they had “gone 14 hours with only dried snap peas as a snack” and faced the prospect of waiting another six hours before access to a proper meal.
The passenger concluded that American Airlines took “the bare minimum accountability in rectifying their mistake,” effectively transferring the burden of the disruption and resulting losses to their customers.
Featured Image by Clément Alloing | Flickr
Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.
Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News
AloJapan.com