United Airlines tech glitch grounds flights across US

WASHINGTON: A major system outage disrupted United Airlines operations across the US on Wednesday night, forcing the airline to temporarily ground its mainline flights nationwide.

The issue began around 7 p.m. CDT when United confirmed a technology failure. An hour later, the airline said the system had started to come back online, reported CBS News.

“Due to a technology issue, we are holding United mainline flights at their departure airports,” United stated. “We expect additional flight delays this evening as we work through this issue. Safety is our top priority, and we’ll work with our customers to get them to their destinations.”

Later, in an update posted on Instagram, United said the technical problem had been fixed. However, residual delays were expected as teams worked to restore regular operations.

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a temporary ground stop for United flights at key hubs including Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Newark, Houston’s George Bush, and San Francisco. By 10:30 p.m. EDT, ground stops remained only in Denver and Newark.

Travelers were advised by airports to check flight status with the airline directly. Passengers on connecting flights with other carriers could also face disruptions.

United clarified that United Express flights and aircraft already in the air were not affected.

Headquartered in Chicago, United operates around 4,600 flights daily to 354 destinations in 38 countries. According to data from FlightAware, by 10:30 p.m. EDT, 1,308 United flights were delayed and 53 canceled.

At O’Hare International Airport, 16 flights, 11 departures and seven arrivals, had been canceled by 9:30 p.m. CDT. Long delays were reported, and video footage from a CBS News passenger showed several United planes idling on the tarmac, waiting for gates to open.

This marks another significant operational hiccup for the airline in recent months, raising concerns over the airline’s tech infrastructure.