Washington D.C., Aug 7: United Airlines temporarily grounded all of its mainline flights across the United States on Wednesday evening following a major technical issue, the airline confirmed. The disruption led to hundreds of delays and cancellations at major U.S. airports, sparking widespread inconvenience for travelers.
“Due to a technology issue, we are holding United mainline flights at their departure airports,” the airline said in a statement. “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.”
Not a Cyberattack, Airline Confirms
While speculation mounted online about the nature of the disruption, United Airlines clarified that the issue was not related to a cyberattack, according to a report by ABC News. The exact nature of the technical fault has not been disclosed.
Mainline operations refer to United’s core fleet operated directly by the airline, including Boeing 737, 757, 767, 777, and 787 aircraft, as well as Airbus A319 and A320 models. United Express flights—operated by regional partners—were not affected by the ground stop.
Delays and Cancellations Continue
As of late Wednesday night, United reported that 827 flights had been delayed and 23 cancelled due to the system failure. The airline noted that its systems were in the process of being restored, but residual delays would continue into the night.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that United requested ground stops at several major hubs, including Newark Liberty International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Denver International Airport, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
Passengers Left in Limbo
Passengers across the country were left frustrated and confused as flight schedules were thrown into disarray. Angela Jeffers, a traveler aboard a United flight from Nashville to Denver, described how the pilot explained the delay.
“We’re missing some numbers we need to take off, so we can’t take off yet and don’t have a time estimate of when we’ll be able to,” she recalled, speaking to CNN.
United has not yet announced a timeline for full service restoration. The airline urged passengers to check their flight status and prepare for continued delays as teams work to resolve the issue.
