A United Airlines flights groundstop was just lifted - here's why 1,000+ planes were halted

What a week it has been for United Airlines and airlines in general.

This weekend, a United Airlines pilot declared Mayday and diverted to Dulles. The week before, federal agents stormed the cockpit on a Delta flight. Last night, United Airlines grounded over 1,000 flights nationwide.

Here's what happened.

United Airlines flight ground stop

United Airlines has lifted a nationwide ground stop that paralyzed operations at several of its key hubs, including Chicago O’Hare International Airport, where passengers faced hours-long delays and crowded terminals.

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The disruption, triggered by a “technology issue,” prompted United to halt departures around 5:12 p.m. Central Time last night. However, by 9 p.m. CT, the airline announced the issue had been resolved and teams were actively working to resume normal flight schedules.

“We are working with customers to get them to their destinations after a technology disruption on Wednesday evening,” United said in a statement, as reported by CBS News. “The underlying technology issue has been resolved, and, while we expect residual delays, our team is working to restore our normal operations.”

The pause in operations also impacted major United hubs in Denver, Houston, San Francisco, and Newark (which had its own fair share of problems after air traffic controllers lost contact with pilots in May). While aircraft already en route were allowed to continue to their destinations, incoming United Express regional flights faced delays as backed-up gate traffic caused a ripple effect.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acknowledged the incident, noting, “We’re aware United experienced a technology issue disrupting their operations. Some delays may continue as they work through the recovery process. We’ve offered full support to help address their flight backlog and remain in close contact with United.”

At O’Hare, video footage captured a row of United aircraft idling on the tarmac, unable to reach gates due to the backlog.

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United sent a text alert to passengers, warning that flights were being temporarily held at departure airports to manage limited gate availability—a precaution that could lead to delays extending into the evening.

CBS News has confirmed that United is treating the situation as a preventable delay, meaning the airline will cover related customer expenses, such as hotel accommodations when necessary. The airline also clarified that the incident was not tied to any cybersecurity threat.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared via X that he had spoken directly with United CEO Scott Kirby and confirmed the issue was specific to United’s internal systems—not the broader air traffic control network.

As of 9:10 p.m., departure delays at Chicago O’Hare were averaging two hours.

Yahoo CreatorCassandra BrooklynI'm Cassandra, a freelance writer, guidebook author, and photographer who loves all things outdoors. I've written for The New York Times, National Geographic, Wall Street Journal, Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure, and dozens more. My work tends to focus on sustainability, accessibility, and the outdoors and I have a special love for hiking, biking, and kayaking. I started as a solo traveler, now do a lot of family travel, and also multi-gen and accessible travel.FollowFollow