United Airlines Grounds Flights Amid Technical Glitch, Thousands Affected

United Airlines temporarily grounded all mainline flights due to a system-related technical glitch, affecting thousands of passengers across the United States. The disruption occurred on March 15, 2024, leading to significant delays at major airports, including Chicago, Denver, Newark, Houston, and San Francisco. Although the issue was resolved within an hour, the airline warned that residual delays would continue throughout the day.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed ground stops at several key airports during the outage. A spokesperson for United Airlines stated, “The underlying technology issue has been resolved and while we expect residual delays, our team is working to restore our normal operations.” The airline clarified that the disruption was not caused by a cyberattack, according to a report from ABC News.

Details surrounding the technical failure remain somewhat unclear. While an official cause has not been disclosed, a source cited by Reuters indicated that a failure in the weight calculation system was responsible for the grounding of flights. As a result, 827 flights experienced delays, and 23 were cancelled.

Travelers expressed their frustrations on social media as operations stalled. Many took to platforms like Twitter to voice their grievances, emphasizing the inconvenience caused by the sudden disruption.

Flights operated by United Express and those already in the air were not impacted by the glitch. Nonetheless, the widespread delays prompted significant criticism online, highlighting the challenges faced by airlines in maintaining operational reliability.

United Airlines is now working to return to normal operations after the technical glitch. Passengers affected by the delays are advised to check the airline’s website or contact customer service for updates on their flights.