United Airlines passengers across the United States faced widespread delays on Wednesday night after a technical glitch forced the airline to halt departures from several major airports, triggering a temporary nationwide ground stop.
The disruption affected United’s mainline flights, with operations paused at key hubs including Chicago O’Hare, Denver International, Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental, San Francisco International, and Newark Liberty in New Jersey.
According to flight tracking service FlightAware, more than 700 United flights were delayed as of 9:00 p.m. EDT (01:00 GMT). Flights already airborne were allowed to continue to their destinations, but ground operations experienced significant congestion, which also risked knock-on effects on regional flights.
The airline lifted the ground stop at around 10:00 p.m. EDT, announcing that the underlying technology issue had been resolved. “While we expect residual delays, our team is working to restore our normal operations,” United said in a statement.
Passengers voiced frustration as they remained grounded for extended periods, many waiting on tarmacs without updates. One traveler, Jessica Jeffers, told CNN she had been stuck on a plane in Denver for over two hours en route to Newark. “It’s been pretty rough over here,” she said.
Social media was flooded with complaints from passengers across the country, many sharing images and videos of packed airport gates and delayed departure boards.
While the airline did not immediately disclose details of the specific technology failure, CBS News reported that United is treating the incident as a “preventable delay.” This classification means the airline will offer compensation or reimbursements for affected travelers under certain conditions.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed he had been briefed on the matter and assured the public that the issue was not related to the national air traffic control system. “This is an isolated incident with United Airlines,” he stated.
The glitch is the latest in a series of operational disruptions that have hit major U.S. airlines this year, prompting renewed concerns over the resilience of airline IT systems. While United has now resumed flight operations, officials and passengers alike are bracing for continued ripple effects into Thursday’s travel schedules.
