United Airlines Experiences Major Flight Delays Due to Tech Issues

A significant number of United Airlines flights were delayed across the United States after the airline experienced a technology glitch, affecting major hubs and creating havoc for travelers.

United Airlines has faced widespread passenger delays following a temporary halt in their flights due to reported technical issues. A nationwide ground stop was initiated, impacting travel from significant airports like Chicago, Denver, Houston, San Francisco, and New Jersey.

The disruption began around 22:00 EDT on Wednesday (02:00 GMT on Thursday). While United announced that flights were cleared to resume shortly after that time, substantial delays remained. “The underlying technology issue has been resolved, and while we expect residual delays, our team is working to restore our normal operations,” stated the airline.

According to flight tracking service FlightAware, over 700 flights had experienced delays by 21:00 EDT (02:00 BST). Though flights already airborne during the incident continued without interruption, regional flights weren’t affected but might face delays due to backlog caused by the ground stop. Passenger Jessica Jeffers shared her frustrations, noting a two-hour wait on the tarmac in Denver while waiting for a connection to Newark, New Jersey, describing it as “pretty rough.”

Numerous travelers took to social media to express their dissatisfaction, citing prolonged waits on tarmacs as they waited for updates. Reports from CBS News, a partner of the BBC in the U.S., confirmed that United Airlines would classify the disruption as a preventable delay, committing to cover certain expenses. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy mentioned that he had been informed about the situation and clarified that the issue was "unrelated to the broader air traffic control system" operating within the U.S.