A Phoenix air traffic controller prevented confusion when two American Airlines flights using the same callsign, American 2482, appeared on the same frequency near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. One aircraft was arriving from Chicago while the other was departing for Chicago, and the controller quickly separated them by identifying one as the arrival and the other as the departure during the handoff around midnight local time on Thursday night into Friday.
American Airlines linked the duplicate callsign to a schedule recovery decision after the inbound Chicago flight was delayed, prompting the airline to use a different aircraft in Phoenix to keep the outbound service on time. The Federal Aviation Administration said both flights maintained required separation and is investigating the incident.
Audio of the exchange circulated widely after the controller remarked that he had never seen two aircraft “pretty much merge with the same call sign” in 25 years of air traffic work. No injuries, damage or broader operational disruption were reported, and both flights continued safely.