“Automation issues” triggered the move, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
United said the glitch was an internal technology issue — not an outside threat. Spokeswoman Jennifer Dohm said a router problem reduced ‘‘network connectivity’’ for several software applications. ‘‘We fixed the router issue, which is enabling us to restore normal functions,’’ she said around midday.
A White House spokesman said President Obama was briefed on the problem and that it appeared unrelated to the outage later at the New York Stock Exchange.
United said more than 800 flights were delayed and about 60 were canceled. It said delays could linger throughout the day.
Flights at Logan Internationa Airport in Boston, where United is the fourth-largest carrier, were delayed as much as two hours between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
Some travelers took to social media to vent their frustration with the situation.
Source:Boston Globe
