United Airlines experienced a widespread technology outage Wednesday evening that led to ground stops and significant delays across several major U.S. airports. The airline said the issue has since been resolved, but travelers should expect residual disruptions into Thursday.
Operations came to a halt at key United hubs, including Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston, and San Francisco, after the carrier issued ground stops just after 7:30 p.m. ET. According to the FAA’s system status page, the action was initiated by United due to an internal technical fault.
By late evening, United reported that the underlying issue had been fixed and that it was working to recover normal operations. “We are assisting customers in reaching their destinations following a technology disruption earlier this evening,” the airline said in a statement. “While the root cause has been resolved, some delays are expected as operations normalize.”
As of 9:45 p.m. ET, data from FlightAware showed that roughly 31% of United’s scheduled flights were delayed, while about 1% had been canceled.
Travelers across the country reported long wait times and limited communication. Angela Jeffers, a passenger flying from Nashville to Denver, said her flight was delayed for two hours. “The pilot told us they didn’t have the numbers needed to take off yet,” she said. “There was no estimate for when we’d be able to leave.”
Her sister, Jessica Jeffers, was also affected while traveling from Denver to Newark. She described being stuck on the tarmac for two hours with little guidance. “The air conditioning was barely working, and we were basically baking in there,” she said in a message.
United has offered accommodations and flight changes to some affected passengers. In several cases, hotel costs were covered for travelers whose flights did not depart Wednesday night.
Though the airline did not elaborate on the cause of the disruption, the event underscores the growing operational risks posed by airline tech dependencies. The incident comes amid a broader conversation within the aviation industry about digital infrastructure and contingency planning.
This is the second time in recent months that a major U.S. carrier has suffered operational turmoil due to system failures. Earlier this summer, American Airlines experienced similar delays tied to an internal scheduling platform.
As Thursday begins, United says its teams are working to resume full flight schedules. Passengers are advised to check flight status before heading to the airport.
