United Airlines said on Tuesday it had resumed flights after briefly grounding all of its aircraft in the US due to a “system-wide technology issue”.
“We have identified a resolution to the technology issue and flights have resumed. We’re working with affected customers to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible,” United said on X, the service formerly known as Twitter.
Earlier, the airline said planes already in the air were “continuing to their destinations as scheduled”. It didn’t say what caused the technical glitch or provide further details.
The Federal Aviation Administration said United asked the agency to halt all departures nationwide, according to a statement sent to CBS News. It referred further questions to United.
United had cancelled only seven flights by mid-afternoon Tuesday, less than the average of about 16 per day over the Labor Day weekend, according to the tracking service FlightAware. But more than 300 United flights were delayed – 12% of the airline’s schedule and far more than rival carriers including American, Delta and Southwest.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has criticised airlines for flight problems and other issues over the past year, posted that the FAA was “receiving more information about the cause and scope of the problem, and DOT will ensure UA meets its obligations to affected passengers”.
