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United Airlines faced a brief nationwide ground stop on July 24, 2025, due to a fire alarm at its Network Operations Center in suburban Chicago. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued the ground stop around 18:30 CST. This incident affected only United's main fleet, not regional United Express aircraft. Delays were minimal, and diversions occurred. The ground stop was lifted before 19:30 CST after employees moved to a backup facility.
The United Airlines Network Operations Center in Arlington Heights resembles a Wall Street trading floor with numerous workstations and monitors. Forbes notes that United prioritizes ergonomics, workflow, technology, and employee comfort at this facility. Despite the disruption caused by the alarm, operations resumed within an hour.
United Airlines employs over 100,000 people worldwide as of 2025. Its headquarters accommodates various departments such as Flight Information, Flight Planning, Crew Management, and more. A statement from United Airlines to Fox News Digital confirmed the resolution of the situation: "A fire alarm sounded at our operations center, which caused employees to move to our nearby backup facility and resulted in a brief nationwide ground stop of United aircraft. Employees have returned to our primary operations center, and the ground stop has been lifted."
