Computer failure hits United Airlines operations

A nationwide computer failure has drastically disrupted US carrier United Airlines operations, the airline confirmed in a statement "At approximately 7:15 pm central time (0015 GMT Saturday), United Airlines experienced a computer outage interrupting the airline's flight departures, airport processing and reservations systems," said the airline. "Our technology team is working to resolve the issue as soon as possible," said the statement. The Chicago-based airline did not estimate how many airlines were effected by the outage. "We apologize for the disruption being caused to travelers at affected airports and we are seeking to resume operations as quickly as possible." United merged with Continental on October 1 last year to form the world's largest airline group, with a cumulative total of some 5,820 flights daily, though both companies still exist separately.