On Wednesday, August 6, 2025, United Airlines grounded flights across the United States due to a major computer system outage, causing widespread delays and cancellations that left thousands of passengers stranded at major airports. The issue, which began shortly after 6 p.m. ET, affected the airline’s weight and balance computer system, critical for calculating flight parameters and ensuring safe operations. United confirmed the problem was not related to a cyberattack and was resolved within a few hours, but the ripple effects lingered, with over 1,000 flights delayed and dozens canceled, according to flight tracking sources. Major hubs, including Chicago, Denver, Newark, Houston, and San Francisco, were hit hardest, with passengers facing delays ranging from one to over five hours.
United Airlines issued a statement saying, “The underlying technology issue has been resolved, and, while we expect residual delays, our team is working to restore our normal operations.” The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) supported United’s efforts to clear the backlog, with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasizing the agency’s commitment to ensuring airlines meet passenger obligations. The outage affected only United’s mainline flights, leaving United Express services and flights already airborne unaffected.
This incident follows a pattern of technology-related disruptions in the airline industry. Just months earlier, in April 2025, Southwest Airlines faced a similar hour-long nationwide ground stop due to a technology failure, which delayed over 2,000 flights. The Southwest outage, like United’s, underscored the industry’s reliance on complex computer systems and the cascading impact of their failures. These incidents highlight ongoing challenges in maintaining robust technological infrastructure amid increasing demands on air travel.
As airlines continue to grapple with such disruptions, questions arise about the resilience of their systems and the need for stronger safeguards to prevent future outages. For now, passengers are left navigating the fallout, with United and the FAA working to restore normalcy to the skies.
