Travel chaos erupted across the United States as United Airlines was forced to implement a nationwide ground stop due to a crippling technology failure. The unprecedented move left thousands of passengers stranded at airports, with flights delayed or cancelled entirely.
The airline confirmed the system outage in a statement, saying they were "experiencing a systemwide technology issue" and had temporarily halted all domestic departures while working urgently to resolve the problem.
Passenger Frustration Mounts
Airports from New York to Los Angeles saw scenes of growing frustration as:
- Passengers faced indefinite delays with no clear resolution time
- Gate areas became overcrowded with stranded travellers
- Customer service lines stretched through terminals
"This is an absolute nightmare," one passenger at Chicago O'Hare told reporters. "We've been sitting here for three hours with no information."
Domino Effect Across US Air Travel
The disruption is expected to have ripple effects throughout the day:
- Connecting flights will face significant delays
- Airport operations may remain impacted even after systems are restored
- Other airlines could experience knock-on effects from the United shutdown
United Airlines, the third-largest US carrier, operates nearly 5,000 flights daily. The airline has not yet provided an estimate for when normal operations might resume.
