United Airlines Resumes Flights After Technical Glitch Causes Nationwide Travel Disruptions
August 6, 2025 | Updated August 7, 2025, 4:23 AM ET
United Airlines faced a significant technology issue on Wednesday evening that forced a widespread ground stop of its flights across the United States, resulting in over 1,000 flight delays and numerous cancellations. The airline has since resolved the problem and has begun restoring operations, though residual delays are expected.
Technical Issue and Impact
The disruption started around 6:12 p.m. ET and was traced to a malfunction in United Airlines’ weight and balance computer system known as Unimatic. This crucial system helps calculate the safe loading and balance of aircraft, and without it functioning properly, flights could not proceed. United Airlines emphasized that the issue was not connected to recent cybersecurity threats in the airline industry, and the exact cause of the technical failure remains unknown.
Due to the glitch, United requested ground stops at several major airports including Chicago, Denver, Newark, Houston, and San Francisco starting at about 7:30 p.m. ET. Flight tracker FlightAware documented extensive delays and cancellations carried over into early Thursday morning.
Federal Aviation Administration Response
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acknowledged the interruption, stating it was widely aware of United Airlines’ technology failure. The agency confirmed it was providing support to help United manage the backlog of flights and maintained close communication with the airline during the recovery phase.
Passenger Experiences
Passengers endured prolonged waits and uncertainty. Angela Jeffers, flying from Nashville to Denver, recounted that the pilot informed them of the system outage and inability to take off due to missing critical data. She described the situation as uncertain, with no estimated time for departure. United Airlines offered affected passengers options including hotel stays and rebooked flights.
Jessica Jeffers, Angela’s sister stranded on a flight at Denver Airport, shared her frustrations with the delay. She described waiting for two hours on the plane with little communication or air conditioning, leading to discomfort for those on board.
At Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, traveler Johan Kotze expressed disappointment after his vacation journey to Mauritius was disrupted. His missed connections prompted concerns about rebooking flights and accommodations, reflecting the widespread ripple effects of the outage on travelers’ plans.
Moving Forward
A United Airlines spokesperson assured that the core technical issue was resolved as of Wednesday night and that teams are actively working to return operations to normal. Despite this, the airline cautioned that continued delays might occur as the backlog is cleared.
This incident marks one of the more substantial technology-related interruptions impacting US air travel this year, emphasizing the critical role of computer systems in modern aviation operations.
This article was updated with additional details as information became available.
Topics: Aviation news, Federal Aviation Administration, Air travel safety
Reported by: Alexandra Skores, Jillian Sykes, with contributions from Pete Muntean and Hanna Park
Photo Caption: United Airlines airplanes parked at Newark, New Jersey, highlight the scale of the disruption experienced on June 1.
Gary Hershorn/Corbis News/Getty Images
