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United Airlines temporarily grounded all of its mainline flights Wednesday evening due to a technical issue, the airline said.
Mainline flights are operated directly by United, using its own aircraft and crew. These typically include Boeing 737, 757, 767, 777, and 787 jets, as well as Airbus A319 and A320 models.
“Due to a technology issue, we are holding United mainline flights at their departure airports,” a spokesperson told FOX Business. “We expect additional flight delays this evening as we work through this issue. Safety is our top priority, and we’ll work with our customers to get them to their destinations.”
In a statement posted to social media, United apologized for the disruption and said its teams were working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
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A United Airlines passenger plane is seen at San Francisco International Airport in July 2024. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images / Getty Images)
In response to a concerned traveler on social media, United acknowledged the issue and thanked the passenger for their patience.
“We’re aware of the system error at this time and are working on a fix to have you on your way as soon as possible,” United responded. “We understand that this disruption has caused frustrations during your travel and appreciate your continued patience.”
A spokesperson later said the airline was “working with customers to get them to their destinations after a technology disruption.”
“The underlying technology issue has been resolved, and, while we expect residual delays, our team is working to restore our normal operations,” the airline said.
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Passengers on a United Airlines aircraft sat on the tarmac at Denver International Airport on Aug. 6, 2025, because of a technical glitch that grounded mainline flights for the airline. (Fox News)
Still, passengers around the world felt the ramifications of the glitch.
One passenger in Denver told Fox News Senior Correspondent Aishah Hasnie that she had been stuck on a United plane on the tarmac in Denver for nearly two hours.
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None of the gates were available, and the pilot told the passenger there was no update on when those on board could get off the aircraft.
The passenger also said some planes have been sitting for twice as long as they had been waiting.
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While there were reports on social media that United flights had begun taking off again, the airline did not confirm that information to FOX Business.
Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report.