United Airlines temporarily halted all departures across the United States due to a widespread technology issue that impacted its operations. The disruption led to a nationwide ground stop affecting major hubs including Chicago, Denver, Houston, San Francisco, and Newark, creating significant travel delays for passengers.
The airline stated that the decision to pause departures was taken as a precaution to ensure the safety of both passengers and crew members. While flights already in the air continued to their destinations without interruption, all mainline departures were delayed as the airline worked to resolve the system malfunction. Regional flights were not directly impacted by the technical issue, but knock-on effects such as airport congestion caused some of these services to be delayed as well.
As of late evening, more than 700 United flights had been delayed, according to flight tracking data. Passengers at affected airports faced long waits, with some reporting extended delays and limited updates. The full scale of the impact is still unfolding, as the airline continues to assess and resolve the problem.
United Airlines confirmed that it expects continued delays throughout the evening as it works to clear the backlog and stabilize operations. The airline reiterated that passenger safety remains its highest priority and assured customers that it is making every effort to minimize disruption and get travelers to their destinations as soon as possible.
Travelers are being advised to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport and to remain in contact with the airline for updates. Ground stops of this scale are rare and typically signal a significant technical or safety issue within airline systems.
The cause of the technology failure has not yet been disclosed, and investigations are ongoing. Such issues can stem from a range of problems, including software outages, network disruptions, or faults in operational control systems.
This latest incident adds to a series of recent disruptions faced by airlines globally, underscoring the increasing reliance on digital infrastructure in the aviation sector. As operations gradually resume, United is working to restore its systems and re-establish regular flight schedules.
