United Airlines passengers in US delayed after tech glitch halts flights

August 7, 2025

United Airlines experienced significant operational disruptions due to a technology issue that temporarily grounded mainline flights at major US airports including Chicago, Denver, Houston, San Francisco, and New Jersey. The airline announced around 22:00 EDT Wednesday that while the underlying technology problem had been resolved, residual delays continued to affect passengers. Over 700 United flights were delayed according to FlightAware tracking data, with numerous passengers reporting being stranded on tarmacs for hours.

Who is affected

United Airlines passengers in the US
Passengers stranded on tarmacs (including Jessica Jeffers at Denver airport)
Mainline flight operations at major airports including Chicago, Denver, Houston, San Francisco, and New Jersey
Potentially passengers on regional flights due to traffic jams from ground stops

What action is being taken

United Airlines is working to restore normal operations after resolving the underlying technology issue
The airline is treating the incident as a preventable delay, meaning it will cover certain expenses incurred by passengers
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is monitoring the situation and has been briefed by United
Flights that were already in the air during the ground stop are continuing to their destinations

Why it matters

The disruption caused delays for over 700 United flights
Passengers experienced significant inconvenience, with some stranded on tarmacs for hours
The incident affected operations at multiple major US airports
As a "preventable delay," the airline will be responsible for covering certain passenger expenses
The issue demonstrates vulnerability in airline technology systems that can quickly cascade into widespread disruptions

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC