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United Airlines is working to resume normal operations this morning following a significant technical issue that disrupted flights at Newark Airport and several other major hubs on Wednesday evening (August 6). The disruption was caused by a problem with a computer system that manages the weight and balance of departing aircraft, leading to a ground stop at Newark and other airports.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued ground stops at United's request, affecting major hubs including Chicago, Houston, Denver, Newark, and San Francisco. The issue began shortly after 6 p.m. ET and was resolved within a few hours, but not before over 1,000 flights were delayed and dozens canceled, ABC7 Chicago reported.
Passengers took to social media to express frustration as many were stuck on planes, either at the gate or on the tarmac, waiting for the issue to be resolved. Some flights even returned to their gates to allow passengers to deplane.
United Airlines confirmed that the issue was not related to a cyberattack and stated that flights already in the air were not affected. The airline is covering meals and hotel accommodations for impacted customers. The FAA and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy noted that the issue was specific to United's operations and unrelated to the broader air traffic control system.
As operations resume, travelers can expect some residual delays throughout the day as United works to restore normal schedules.