by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:00 AM ET, Thu August 7, 2025
A technical issue forced United Airlines to ground flights
nationwide on Wednesday night, resulting in over 1,000 delays and more than 200
cancellations.
According to The
Associated Press, a United spokesperson said the issue was caused by a
problem with the airline's weight and balance computer system, which started at
around 6 p.m. ET and was resolved after a few hours.
Impacted travelers were reimbursed for meals and hotels
during the delays.
“We are working with customers to get them to their
destinations after a technology disruption on Wednesday evening,” United said
in a statement on Wednesday. "The underlying technology issue has been
resolved, and, while we expect residual delays, our team is working to restore
our normal operations.”
The issues have carried over into Thursday as well, with
over 140 flights delayed so far and another 150 canceled, according to FlightAware.com.
“Due to a technology issue, we are holding United mainline
flights at their departure airports,” United’s statement continued. “We expect
additional flight delays this evening as we work through this issue. Safety is
our top priority, and we'll work with our customers to get them to their
destinations.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and U.S.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy both said they were aware of the technical issues
impacting flights. They believe the glitch was not related to the broader air
traffic control system nor a cyberattack.
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