ST. LOUIS – Technical issues grounded flights from United Airlines at St. Louis Lambert International Airport and around the country. Although the issue was brief, it caused some delays for passengers who were working to get out of St. Louis.
Travelers like Maggie Witt, who was trying to get to South Carolina on Tuesday afternoon.
“I haven’t flown since I was 15 and I’m 52, and I’ve already had problems here,” she said.
United Airlines discovered an unspecified technology glitch, and asked the Federal Aviation Administration to halt the airline’s departures nationwide. Flights that were already in the air were not affected.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg weighed in on the matter, saying he was aware of the nationwide ground stop at United Airlines due to IT issues.
Flights resumed just before 1 p.m. Central time.
“I just heard it through the grapevine on my phone,” Witt said. “That’s where I got the message from a family member.”
And while more than 300 United flights were delayed as a result, St. Louis Airport reported very few delays.
Late in the day, United responded to our inquiry about the problem, saying, “The issue lasted a little over an hour. We are investigating the cause, but it was not a cybersecurity issue. No aircraft in flight were affected.”
