United Airlines temporarily grounded all of its mainline flights in the US on Wednesday due to a technical glitch, stranding thousands of passengers and triggering travel disruptions across the country. The issue, which affected the airline's internal systems, was resolved within an hour, but not before delays rippled through major airports.
Passengers across hubs like Chicago, Denver, Newark, Houston, and San Francisco were left frustrated as operations came to a halt. Many took to social media to express their anger and confusion.
“The underlying technology issue has been resolved and while we expect residual delays, our team is working to restore normal operations,” a United Airlines spokesperson told CNN.
According to flight tracking platform FlightAware, 827 flights were delayed and 23 cancelled. The airline clarified that the glitch was not caused by a cyberattack. While the exact nature of the problem remains undisclosed, a source told Reuters it was linked to a failure in the airline’s weight calculation system—a critical component for aircraft takeoff.
The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) issued a ground stop at several airports in response. However, the disruption did not affect any United Express flights or flights already in the air.
Social media saw a wave of complaints, with passengers questioning the airline’s preparedness. One wrote, “Sitting on the Denver airport tarmac due to computer issues in Chicago. How do large airlines not have redundant backup systems?”
Another stranded traveller posted, “All United Airlines planes grounded. Sitting on the plane, they have given us the option to get off with no ETA.”
This latest disruption adds to a growing list of tech-related woes for the US aviation sector. Just last month, Alaska Airlines faced a similar technical issue, and repeated air traffic system failures have hit Newark Airport in recent months.
Earlier this year, the sector witnessed its deadliest crash in decades when a passenger aircraft collided midair with a military helicopter in Washington, killing 67 people.