United Airlines Resumes Operations After Technology Disruption, But Residual Delays Expected
August 7, 2025 — United Airlines has resumed its flight operations following a widespread technology outage that forced the airline to ground much of its fleet nationwide on Wednesday evening. Despite the resolution of the issue, passengers should anticipate residual delays and cancellations as the airline works to return to normal service.
The disruption, which began shortly after 6 p.m. Eastern Time, was caused by a failure in United Airlines’ weight and balance computer system — critical technology that calculates how passengers, cargo, and fuel distribution affect aircraft safety. According to the airline, the underlying technical problem has been fixed after several hours of downtime.
In a statement, United assured travelers: “Safety is our top priority, and we’ll work with our customers to get them to their destinations.” The airline has been actively assisting affected customers, offering meal vouchers and hotel accommodations to those impacted by flight delays and cancellations.
Scope of the Disruption
Flight tracking service FlightAware reported that the disruption led to more than 1,000 delayed flights and over 40 cancellations across United’s network. The airline implemented ground holds at key hubs including Newark, San Francisco, Chicago, Denver, and Houston, temporarily stopping departures until the issue was resolved.
United Express flights were not affected by the outage, and all flights already airborne at the time were allowed to continue to their destinations uninterrupted.
Agency and Official Responses
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acknowledged the incident, confirming awareness of the technology issue impacting United Airlines operations. However, the FAA underscored that this problem was isolated to United and unrelated to the broader air traffic control system.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also clarified that the disruption was specific to United’s systems, ensuring the public that the national air traffic infrastructure remained unaffected.
Importantly, United Airlines confirmed in correspondence with ABC News that the outage was not the result of a cyberattack.
Impact and Recovery
Passengers traveling with United on Wednesday evening faced significant inconveniences amid the interruptions. The airline’s swift resolution of the weight and balance system problem enabled flights to gradually resume, although scheduling disruptions are expected to persist into the following days.
As the airline works diligently to clear the backlog of flights and restore normal scheduling, customers are encouraged to check their flight status and stay in communication with United Airlines for updates.
This incident highlights the critical reliance of modern air travel operations on complex computer systems, especially those directly linked to flight safety procedures.
What Passengers Should Know
- United mainline flights at major hubs were momentarily grounded starting shortly after 6 p.m. ET.
- Over 1,000 flights were delayed, with more than 40 cancellations recorded.
- United Express flights and flights already in the air were unaffected.
- The airline is providing support for impacted customers, including meal and hotel accommodations.
- The issue was caused by a weight and balance computer system failure and was resolved within a few hours.
- The FAA and U.S. Transportation Department confirmed the problem was exclusive to United and unrelated to cyberattacks or the national air traffic system.
Passengers planning to travel with United Airlines in the coming days should anticipate possible delays and consult the airline’s official communications for the latest information.
This story is developing; ABC News will provide updates as more information becomes available.
