Computer Problems Blamed For Flight Delays That Hit U.S. Airlines

Thousands of travelers on some of the largest U.S. airlines endured long waits Monday morning, as their flights were delayed owing to a contractor's computer outage. The technical problem forced Southwest Airlines, which had some of the biggest issues, to shut down all U.S. flights for about 40 minutes Monday.

"As of 9 a.m. Eastern Time, more than 600 Southwest flights today had been delayed," NPR's David Schaper reports. "United says about 150 flights with its regional carriers were affected; American and Delta also say a couple of dozen flights on its regional carriers were affected."

The delay hit Southwest shortly after 7 a.m. ET, forcing the ground stop that lasted until 7:45 a.m. The FAA announced at 8:30 a.m. that the "issue has been resolved." But by then, the delays were already mounting.

"Several U.S. airlines are experiencing computer issues this morning," the Federal Aviation Administration said on Twitter, asking passengers to check on their flight's status with their airlines. The agency reminded readers — some of them, no doubt, frustrated passengers whose planes had not taken off — that it does not control flight cancellations.