United States — United Airlines experienced a significant technical malfunction on 6 August, causing all its mainline flights to be grounded across multiple major airports in the US. The airline has warned passengers to expect widespread delays into the evening as engineers work to resolve the issue.
According to United Airlines’ official statement, the problem began early Wednesday morning at around 5:45 am local time near the junction of Woodlands Avenue 2 and Woodlands Avenue 5. The airline confirmed the technical fault affected their flight operations nationwide.
Passengers stranded on the tarmac reported that flight crews were unable to complete standard aircraft weight and balance calculations due to the system outage. Social media posts further indicated that pilots faced difficulties managing essential pre-flight procedures because of the failure.
Disruptions Hit Key US Hubs
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that airports including Denver, Houston, Newark Liberty (New Jersey), San Francisco, and Chicago O’Hare — all vital hubs for United — were forced to halt departures temporarily due to the technical glitch.
Videos and photos emerging from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport showed long queues of frustrated travellers seeking updates on their disrupted flights. Airport staff and airline representatives were overwhelmed as the situation unfolded.
United Airlines reassured the public that efforts to fix the problem were ongoing and expected that normal operations would resume soon. However, the airline warned that residual delays might extend throughout the evening, affecting hundreds of flights.
Technical Failures Plague US Airlines
This latest incident follows a similar pattern of computer system failures affecting US airlines in recent months. Just weeks prior, Alaska Airlines was forced to ground its entire fleet due to a software issue impacting its operations.
Alaska Airlines’ troubles also raised cybersecurity concerns after a hacking attempt was reported in June, underscoring vulnerabilities in the aviation industry’s IT infrastructure.
As travel demand surges globally, these technical setbacks highlight the challenges airlines face in maintaining seamless operations amid complex digital systems.
Passengers affected by the United Airlines outage are advised to check with the airline directly for the latest flight information and to prepare for possible rescheduling.