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tadas writes:

From CNN:

United Airlines resumed operations Sunday night after a computer problem temporarily grounded all domestic mainline flights, two sources familiar with the incident told CNN.

"The ground stop has been lifted," the airline announced on Twitter. "We're working to get flights on their way. We apologize for the inconvenience to our customers."

Earlier, United spokeswoman Maddie King told CNN that the flights were grounded due to an IT issue.

"We have issued a ground stop for all domestic mainline flights due to an IT issue," King said. "We are working as quickly as possible to resolve this issue and get our customers to their final destinations. We apologize for the inconvenience to our customers." Mainline flights are those operated by an airline's main operating unit, not regional alliances or subsidiaries.

The sources said the flights were grounded due to a problem with the communication system that airplanes use to send information to United operations. Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, or ACARS, is used to record and transmit a range of information, including departure times, as well as weight and balance, which is used to calculate takeoff speeds.

The system outage was an issue for planes that had yet to depart, as pilots need this information to safely take off. Planes already in the air were in no danger, the sources said. The issue did not affect communications between planes and air traffic control.

Original Submission