United Airlines flights grounded nationwide because of computer problems

WASHINGTON — Hundreds of United Airlines flights were disrupted on Wednesday evening as the carrier grappled with a major computer system outage.

“Due to a technology issue, we are holding United mainline flights at their departure airports,” the airline said in a statement.

At the carrier’s request, the Federal Aviation Administration issued ground stops for all of its United flights at the airline’s major hubs including Chicago, Houston, Denver, Newark, N.J. and San Francisco. This does not include flights on the company’s smaller regional jets.

“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 airline said.

United passengers turned quickly to social media, complaining that they were stuck on planes that were paralyzed at the gate or on the tarmac. Other travelers arrived at their destinations, only to find immobilized planes blocking their arrival gates.

Some jets that were preparing for takeoff and had been waiting for the problems to resolve eventually returned to their gates for passengers to deplane. United flights that were already in the air were not affected by the technology issue.

United is just the latest major carrier to suffer a systemwide computer meltdown.

In 2022, Southwest Airlines fell apart during the busy Christmas holiday travel period. A major winter storm caused travel disruptions across the U.S., forcing airlines to cancel thousands of flights. While most recovered relatively quickly, Southwest did not. The airline ultimately canceled 16,900 flights, stranding more than 2 million passengers.

Last summer, it was Delta Air Lines that cancelled thousands of flights after a major system outage triggered by a faulty software update.

 

Judge blocks Trump from cutting funding over ‘sanctuary’ policies

A judge ruled the Trump administration cannot deny funding to Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and 30 other cities and counties because of policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration efforts.

As Trump touts D.C. arrests, experts caution they’re not the best indicator of public safety

The Trump administration says it has arrested more than 700 people in Washington, D.C., in its mission to crack down on crime. Experts say it's difficult to draw conclusions from that about public safety.

Tour bus rollover kills 5 on interstate highway in western New York

A tour bus returning to New York City from Niagara Falls with 54 people on board crashed and rolled on a highway near Pembroke, killing five passengers and injuring many others, authorities said.

Famine is declared in Gaza: What does it take to make this pronouncement?

An announcement of famine — as has now happened regarding Gaza — is a complicated decision. Here's what must be considered before such a declaration is made.

Intel will give the U.S. government a 10% stake, Trump says

The president's highly unusual announcement underscores the Trump administration's desire to take control over U.S. businesses.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia released from federal custody pending criminal trial

The case of Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man originally from El Salvador, raised basic questions of due process in Trump's crackdown on undocumented immigrants after he was arrested and sent to a maximum security prison in El Salvador, violating a U.S. immigration judge's 2019 order prohibiting his deportation to his home country.

More Front Page Coverage