A major disruption today in the skies, as United Airlines was forced to temporarily ground its entire mainline fleet due to a widespread technology failure.
United’s mainline flights—which include its core aircraft like the Boeing 737s, 757s, 767s, 777s, 787s, and Airbus A319 and A320 models were held at departure airports across the country as the airline scrambled to address the issue.
In a statement to SNEWS TV, a United spokesperson confirmed:
“Due to a technology issue, we are holding United mainline flights at their departure airports. We expect additional delays this evening as we work through the problem. Safety remains our top priority, and we’re working to help customers reach their destinations.”
United also took to social media to issue a public apology and assure passengers that the airline’s technical teams were working rapidly to restore normal operations.
In response to a concerned traveler online, United wrote:
“We’re aware of the system error at this time and are working on a fix to have you on your way as soon as possible. We understand this disruption has caused frustration and appreciate your patience.”
Later in the day, United confirmed that the root cause of the issue had been resolved, but residual delays were still expected throughout the evening and into the night.
Passengers nationwide felt the impact, including at Denver International Airport, where one traveler told SNEWS TV’s Senior Correspondent Aishah Hasnie she had been stuck on the tarmac for nearly two hours with no gate available and no clear update from the cockpit.
“Other planes were reportedly waiting even longer,” the passenger shared, noting the growing frustration onboard.
While there were unconfirmed reports that some United flights had resumed takeoff, the airline did not officially verify that information with SNEWS TV at the time of this report.
As United works to fully restore operations, thousands of passengers are left grappling with delays and disrupted travel plans. We’ll continue to follow this developing story and bring you the latest updates as they come in.
Reporting by Katy Moore.
