Hydrogen balloon heading for Europe makes emergency landing in P.E.I.
"It is with a heavy heart that we have to inform you that The Torabhaig Atlantic Explorer Balloon has been forced to land ... with a suspected gas leak," reads a post on the Torabhaig Atlantic Explorer Flight Control Facebook page.
The balloon landed in a swamp near Cardigan, on P.E.I.'s east coast, where crew members became stuck, said the Halifax-based Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC).
The rescue centre said a local EMS team treated one crew member for minor injuries, and all three are safe.
JRCC is no longer involved after assessing the situation, the centre told CBC News.
The Torabhaig Atlantic Explorer was aiming to be the first craft of its kind to cross the Atlantic Ocean, according to the group's website.
A post on the site said the balloon, "piloted by Bert Padelt and co-piloted by Peter Cuneo and Alicia Hempleman-Adams, will take flight as part of an audacious adventure of old friends on a journey that will look for new scientific discoveries while aiming to become the first ever flight of an open basket hydrogen balloon across the Atlantic."
The project's website said the balloon took off from Presque Isle, Maine, on May 24.
"Their route will take them from Maine over Newfoundland, Canada, across the Atlantic Ocean, and then Ireland and Scottish waters before landing in Europe, traversing over many thousands of miles," the site said.
TSB assessing situation
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has been made aware of the landing and is collecting data and assessing the incident, the federal agency confirmed.
RCMP were called to assist, but are no longer involved as there is no investigation, police said.
In the hour before the emergency landing, many Prince Edward Islanders noted the white aircraft in the sky and posted photos and questions about it on social media.
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Los Angeles Times
9 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
The start of California's fire season has moved up 6 weeks since 1990 thanks to climate change
You are not imagining it. Fire season in California is indeed starting earlier and lasting longer in virtually every region of California than it did two decades ago, researchers have found, thanks largely to human-caused climate change. In the Sierra Nevada, fire season starts about 24 days earlier than it did in the early 1990s. In the Northern Basin and Range region, which runs along the northernmost border with Nevada, it's 31 days earlier. And in the Cascade Range, which runs into Oregon, fire season now begins 46 days earlier than it once did, according to a study published this week in the journal Science Advances. 'Anecdotally, those of us living here have this sense that it's been happening sooner,' said Amanda Fencl, a Berkeley-based water specialist who directs climate science for the climate and energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists and was not directly involved with the research. 'This is really an important study to quantify just how soon and where it is shifting, and to what extent.' Although the number of people living in California has grown by roughly 27% since the early 1990s, human-ignited fires have dropped significantly during that time, enabling the researchers to rule out human-caused blazes as the source of the additional burn days. Rather, the most significant factors shoving fire season forward are climate-related, they found: an earlier snowmelt and increased drying of soils and flammable vegetation as average temperatures rise. 'The main driver is the climate and meteorological conditions,' said Gavin D. Madakumbura, a UCLA postdoctoral researcher and the study's lead author. The effect is particularly pronounced in Northern California, where, in some regions, fire has become a near-constant threat. 'It's often said we no longer [have] a wildfire season, but that wildfire season is all year, and that's tied to warming temperatures,' said James Thorne, a UC Davis landscape ecologist who was not involved with the research. Definitively linking longer fire seasons to anthropogenic climate change, as this paper does, is 'a study I've been hoping someone would do for a long time,' he said. California is already on pace to see more fires and significantly more burned acreage than it did last year. More than 220,000 acres have burned in the state as of mid-July, almost 100,000 acres more than California has seen on average at this point in the year over the last five years, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. That total does not include the 96,000 acres burned in the Gifford fire, which was 15% contained as of Thursday, nor three different fires that started Monday in Southern California that together have burned more than 2,800 acres and are not yet contained. It's also the worst year on record for fire-related economic damages. In 2018, the year the Camp fire destroyed the town of Paradise and killed more people than any wildfire in California history, wildfire damages statewide were an estimated $148.5 billion. The Palisades and Eaton fires in January may have caused up to $164 billion in damages, a UCLA study found. Times staff writer Grace Toohey contributed to this report.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ginkgo Bioworks Reports Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results
Ginkgo provides an update on its restructuring, including achievement of its expanded $250 million cost savings targets BOSTON, Aug. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: DNA, "Ginkgo"), which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, today announced its results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025. The update, including a webcast slide presentation with additional details on the second quarter, as well as supplemental financial information will be available at Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results Second quarter 2025 Total revenue of $50 million, down from $56 million in the comparable prior year period Second quarter 2025 Cell Engineering revenue of $39 million, up from $36 million in the comparable prior year period, an increase of 8%, primarily driven by growth with biopharma and government customers Second quarter 2025 Biosecurity revenue of $10 million, down from $20 million in the comparable prior year period Second quarter 2025 GAAP net loss of $(60) million, compared to $(217) million in the comparable prior year period Second quarter 2025 Adjusted EBITDA of $(28) million, up from $(99) million in the comparable prior year period, driven by a decrease in operating expenses Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities balance as of June 30, 2025 of $474 million "Our platform is proving to be a critical engine for AI in biology, with growing demand for our automation and data generation capabilities," said Jason Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks. "This is translating into commercial traction, including major new government contracts and expanded service offerings in response to demand in the biopharma industry. This progress is backed by rigorous financial discipline, allowing us to achieve our $250 million annualized cost-reduction goal three months ahead of schedule." Recent Business Highlights & Strategic Positioning Ginkgo's Automation and Datapoints offerings continue to establish themselves as critical tools in AI-powered bioengineering Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) selected Ginkgo Automation to deliver a state-of-the-art automated anaerobic phenotyping platform, to assist with what is believed to be the largest automated anaerobic system for research in the world Ginkgo launched a new in vitro ADME profiling Service, built on its proprietary RAC automation system. Designed for scale and efficiency, the Service delivers assay quality at cost-effective pricing and includes a price-matching guarantee. By automating traditionally labor-intensive assays and executing them onshore, Ginkgo enables customers to profile more compounds earlier, accelerate decision-making, train AI/ML models, and reduce costs while protecting valuable IP. This launch strengthens Ginkgo's position as a differentiated US-based partner in preclinical R&D analytical services for small molecule drug development. Ginkgo launched its first direct-to-scientist product: a cell-free protein synthesis system This E. coli-based system is optimized for high production from linear DNA, increased solubility of difficult-to-express proteins, and compatibility with automation Ginkgo continues to progress towards its objective to reach Adjusted EBITDA breakeven by the end of 2026 Ginkgo has achieved its target to reach $250 million in annualized cost reduction three months ahead of schedule, through reductions in force and other cost cutting measures. Site consolidation efforts were substantially completed by the year ended 2024, with excess space available for sublease. Full Year 2025 Outlook Ginkgo reaffirms Total revenue of $167-$187 million in 2025 Ginkgo continues to expect Cell Engineering revenue of $117-$137 million in 2025 Ginkgo expects Biosecurity revenue of at least $40 million in 2025 Conference Call DetailsGinkgo will host a videoconference today, Thursday, August 7, 2025, beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET. The presentation will include an overview of the second quarter of 2025, recent business updates, a discussion on Ginkgo's outlook, as well as a moderated question and answer session. To ask a question ahead of the presentation, please submit your questions to @Ginkgo on X (hashtag #GinkgoResults) or by sending an e-mail to investors@ A webcast link is available on Ginkgo's Investor Relations website and a replay will be made available following the presentation. Ginkgo Investor Website: Audio-Only Dial Ins: +1 646 876 9923 (New York)+1 301 715 8592 (Washington DC)+1 305 224 1968 (Miami)+1 312 626 6799 (Chicago)+1 346 248 7799 (Houston)+1 408 638 0968 (San Jose)+1 564 217 2000 (Seattle)+1 689 278 1000 (Orlando)Webinar ID: 953 3421 4604 If you experience technical difficulties with any of these dial-ins or if you need international dial-in numbers, please visit our website at for updated dial-in information. About Ginkgo BioworksGinkgo Bioworks builds the tools that make biology easier to engineer for everyone. Ginkgo R&D Solutions delivers customizable R&D packages—such as protein engineering, nucleic acid design, and cell-free systems—giving partners a comprehensive way to accelerate innovation across therapeutics, diagnostics, & manufacturing. Ginkgo Automation sells modular, integrated laboratory automation so scientists can spend their days planning and analyzing experiments rather than pipetting in the lab. Ginkgo Datapoints uses Ginkgo's in-house automation to generate the large lab data sets to power your AI models. Ginkgo Biosecurity is building and deploying the next-generation infrastructure and technologies that global leaders need to predict, detect, and respond to a wide variety of biological threats. For more information, visit and read our blog, or follow us on social media channels such as X (@Ginkgo and @Ginkgo_Biosec), Instagram (@GinkgoBioworks), Threads (@GinkgoBioworks), or LinkedIn. Forward-Looking Statements of Ginkgo BioworksThis press release, the presentation, and the conference call and webcast contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding our plans, including with respect to technology adaptations to meet our customers' needs, strategies, including with respect to our current expectations, operations and anticipated results of operations, both business and financial, including the timing for attaining Adjusted EBITDA breakeven, impacts of our restructuring, potential customer success, including successful application of our offerings by our customers, and expectations with regard to revenue, including our ability to meet all milestones and achieve the maximum revenue available under certain of our customer arrangements, expenses, our full year 2025 outlook, and the market environment, all of which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, market trends, or industry results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "can," "project," "potential," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document, including but not limited to: (i) our ability to realize near-term and long-term cost savings associated with our site consolidation plans, including the ability to terminate leases or find sub-lease tenants for unused facilities, (ii) volatility in the price of Ginkgo's securities due to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which Ginkgo operates and plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, and changes in laws and regulations affecting Ginkgo's business, (iii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and to identify and realize additional business opportunities, including with respect to our solutions and tools offerings, (iv) the risk of downturns in demand for products using synthetic biology, (v) the uncertainty regarding the demand for passive monitoring programs and biosecurity services, (vi) changes to the biosecurity industry, including due to advancements in technology, emerging competition and evolution in industry demands, standards and regulations, (vii) the outcome of any pending or potential legal proceedings against Ginkgo, (viii) our ability to realize the expected benefits from and the success of our Foundry platform programs and Codebase assets, (ix) our ability to successfully develop engineered cells, bioprocesses, data packages or other deliverables, (x) the product development, production or manufacturing success of our customers, (xi) our exposure to the volatility and liquidity risks inherent in holding equity interests in other operating companies and other non-cash consideration we may receive for our services, (xii) the potential negative impact on our business of our restructuring or the failure to realize the anticipated savings associated therewith and (xiii) the uncertainty regarding government budgetary priorities and funding allocated to government agencies. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of Ginkgo's annual report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 25, 2025 and other documents filed by Ginkgo from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Ginkgo assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Ginkgo does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations. Use of Non-GAAP Financial MeasuresCertain of the financial measures included in this release, including Adjusted EBITDA, have not been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), and constitute "non-GAAP financial measures" as defined by the SEC. Ginkgo has included these non-GAAP financial measures because it believes they provide an additional tool for investors to use in evaluating Ginkgo's financial performance and prospects. Due to the nature and/or size of the items being excluded, such items do not reflect future gains, losses, expenses or benefits and are not indicative of our future operating performance. These non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental to, and should not be considered in isolation from, or as an alternative to, financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures may differ from non-GAAP financial measures with comparable names used by other companies. See the reconciliation below for additional information regarding certain of the non-GAAP financial measures included in this release, including a description of these non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of the historic measures to Ginkgo's most comparable GAAP financial measures. Ginkgo Bioworks Contacts: INVESTOR CONTACT:investors@ MEDIA CONTACT:press@ Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) (in thousands, except share data) As of June 30, 2025As of December 31, 2024 AssetsCurrent assets:Cash and cash equivalents $ 203,566$ 561,572 Marketable securities 270,125— Accounts receivable, net 22,15221,857 Accounts receivable - related parties 974586 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 26,20818,729 Total current assets 523,025602,744 Property, plant and equipment, net 186,354203,720 Operating lease right-of-use assets 375,796394,435 Investments 32,66248,704 Intangible assets, net 66,15272,510 Other non-current assets 47,02055,336 Total assets $ 1,231,009$ 1,377,449 Liabilities and Stockholders' EquityCurrent liabilities:Accounts payable $ 11,202$ 14,169 Deferred revenue (includes $311 and $795 from related parties) 28,28727,710 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 57,23165,387 Total current liabilities 96,720107,266 Non-current liabilities:Deferred revenue, net of current portion (includes $64,786 and $72,260 from related parties) 74,56698,783 Operating lease liabilities, non-current 428,827438,766 Other non-current liabilities 17,94416,576 Total liabilities 618,057661,391 Commitments and contingencies (Note 10)Stockholders' equity:Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized; none issued —— Common stock, $0.0001 par value (Note 8) 65 Additional paid-in capital 6,600,1076,555,416 Accumulated deficit (5,988,814)(5,837,557) Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) 1,653(1,806) Total stockholders' equity 612,952716,058 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 1,231,009$ 1,377,449 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements. Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss (unaudited) (in thousands, except share data) Three Months Ended June 30,Six Months Ended June 30,2025202420252024 Cell Engineering revenue (1) $ 39,134$ 36,205$ 77,364$ 64,094 Biosecurity revenue 10,47020,00120,55830,056 Total revenue 49,60456,20697,92294,150 Costs and operating expenses:Cost of Biosecurity revenue 9,44211,80717,39921,009 Cost of other revenue 5,3801,9149,4701,914 Research and development 53,370134,221124,293270,678 General and administrative 43,27966,28592,322136,572 Goodwill impairment —47,858—47,858 Restructuring charges 3,67417,0668,94717,066 Total operating expenses 115,145279,151252,431495,097 Loss from operations (65,541)(222,945)(154,509)(400,947) Other income (expense):Interest income, net 6,08310,31312,16422,024 Loss on investments (229)(6,826)(3,922)(9,370) Change in fair value of warrant liabilities —3,233—4,173 Other income (expense), net (896)(766)(5,185)1,249 Total other income 4,9585,9543,05718,076 Loss before income taxes (60,583)(216,991)(151,452)(382,871) Income tax (benefit) expense (283)190(195)221 Net loss $ (60,300)$ (217,181)$ (151,257)$ (383,092) Net loss per share:Basic $ (1.10)$ (4.23)$ (2.77)$ (7.55) Diluted $ (1.10)$ (4.23)$ (2.77)$ (7.56) Weighted average common shares outstanding:Basic 54,858,98251,370,02954,552,00650,740,744 Diluted 54,858,98251,375,59954,552,00650,746,314 Comprehensive loss:Net loss $ (60,300)$ (217,181)$ (151,257)$ (383,092) Other comprehensive (loss) income:Foreign currency translation adjustment 2,586(172)3,435(3,207) Unrealized gains (loss) on available-for-sale securities (83)—24— Total other comprehensive (loss) income 2,503(172)3,459(3,207) Comprehensive loss $ (57,797)$ (217,353)$ (147,798)$ (386,299) (1) Includes related party revenue of $420 and $5,146 for the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, and $8,518 and $5,819 for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) (in thousands) Six Months Ended June 30,20252024 Cash flows from operating activities:Net loss $ (151,257)$ (383,092) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:Depreciation and amortization 31,15930,199 Stock-based compensation 42,67877,928 Goodwill impairment —47,858 Restructuring related impairment charges —4,823 Loss on investments 3,9589,370 Change in fair value of notes receivable 5,2851 Change in fair value of warrant liabilities —(4,173) Change in fair value of contingent consideration (4,232)2,284 Non-cash lease expense 14,86613,070 Non-cash in-process research and development —19,795 Other non-cash activity 462,096 Changes in operating assets and liabilities:Accounts receivable (412)(1,102) Prepaid expenses and other current assets (2,272)1,770 Operating lease right-of-use assets 3,81414,373 Other non-current assets (125)(833) Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities (5,125)10,864 Deferred revenue, current and non-current ($7,958) and ($4,577) from related parties (23,676)(17,012) Operating lease liabilities, current and non-current (11,638)(3,866) Other non-current liabilities 5,1561,998 Net cash used in operating activities (91,775)(173,649) Cash flows from investing activities:Purchases of marketable debt securities (320,132)— Maturities of marketable debt securities 64,958— Purchases of property and equipment (7,660)(33,742) Business acquisition —(5,400) Other 262191 Net cash used in investing activities (262,572)(38,951) Cash flows from financing activities:Proceeds from exercise of stock options —84 Principal payments on finance leases (305)(494) Contingent consideration payment —(661) Net cash used in financing activities (305)(1,071) Effect of foreign exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents 260(173) Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (354,392)(213,844) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 561,572944,073 Restricted cash, beginning of period 44,17145,511 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period 605,743989,584 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period 203,566730,367 Restricted cash, end of period 47,78545,373 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period $ 251,351$ 775,740 Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. Segment Information (in thousands, unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30,Six Months Ended June 30,2025 202420252024 Cell Engineering Revenue $ 39,134 $ 36,205$ 77,364$ 64,094 Costs and operating expenses: Cost of other revenue 3,865 1,9146,9861,914 Research and development 31,065 84,11379,735166,011 General and administrative 14,141 33,20232,16871,446 Cell Engineering operating loss (9,937) (83,024)(41,525)(175,277) Biosecurity Revenue 10,470 20,00120,55830,056 Costs and operating expenses: Cost of Biosecurity revenue 8,583 11,80715,80621,009 Research and development — 458—578 General and administrative 6,702 11,17914,75123,130 Biosecurity operating loss (4,815) (3,443)(9,999)(14,661) Total segment operating loss (14,752) (86,467)(51,524)(189,938) Reconciling items to reconcile total segment operating loss to loss before income taxes: Stock-based compensation (1) 22,526 38,22643,32680,623 Goodwill impairment — 47,858—47,858 Depreciation and amortization 15,793 17,33031,15930,199 Restructuring charges (2) 3,674 17,0668,94717,066 Carrying cost of excess space (net of sublease income) (3) 12,413 7,38324,0887,383 Merger and acquisition related expense (income) (4) (3,617) 4,512(4,535)6,906 Acquired in-process research and development — 2,978—19,849 Other (income) expense, net (5) (4,958) (4,829)(3,057)(16,951) Loss before income taxes $ (60,583) $ (216,991)$ (151,452)$ (382,871) (1) Includes $0.3 million and $1.1 million in employer payroll taxes for the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, and $0.6 million and $2.7 million in employer payroll taxes for six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. (2) See Note 3, Restructuring, for composition of costs. (3) The carrying cost of excess space includes base rent, common area maintenance charges, and real estate taxes associated with facilities the Company is not occupying, net of any sublease income from these spaces. (4) Represents transaction and integration costs directly related to mergers and acquisitions, including: (i) legal, consulting, and accounting fees associated with acquisitions; (ii) post-acquisition employee retention bonuses; (iii) (gain)/loss from changes in the fair value of contingent consideration liabilities resulting from acquisitions; and (iv) costs associated with the Zymergen Bankruptcy, as well as securities litigation costs. (5) Includes interest income, interest expense, loss on investments, changes in fair value of certain assets and liabilities, and other gains and losses. Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. Selected Non-GAAP Financial Measures (in thousands, unaudited) Three Months Ended June 30,Six Months Ended June 30, (in thousands) 2025202420252024 Net loss (1) $ (60,300)$ (217,181)$ (151,257)$ (383,092) Interest income, net (6,083)(10,313)(12,164)(22,024) Income tax (benefit) expense (283)190(195)221 Depreciation and amortization 15,79317,33031,15930,199 EBITDA (50,873)(209,974)(132,457)(374,696) Stock-based compensation (2) 22,52638,22643,32680,623 Goodwill impairment —47,858—47,858 Restructuring charges (3) 3,67417,0668,94717,066 Merger and acquisition related expense (income) (4) (3,617)4,512(4,535)6,906 Loss on investments 2296,8263,9229,370 Change in fair value of warrant liabilities —(3,233)—(4,173) Change in fair value of convertible notes —(480)5,285846 Adjusted EBITDA $ (28,061)$ (99,199)$ (75,512)$ (216,200) (1) All periods include non-cash revenue when earned, including $7.5 million recognized in the six months ended June 30, 2025, pursuant to the release of deferred revenue related to the mutual termination of a customer agreement. (2) Includes $0.3 million and $1.1 million in employer payroll taxes for the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, and $0.6 million and $2.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. (3) Restructuring charges primarily consist of employee termination costs from the reduction in force commenced in June 2024. (4) Represents transaction and integration costs directly related to mergers and acquisitions, including: (i) legal, consulting, and accounting fees associated with acquisitions; (ii) post-acquisition employee retention bonuses; (iii) (gain)/loss from changes in the fair value of contingent consideration liabilities resulting from acquisitions; and (iv) costs associated with the Zymergen Bankruptcy, as well as securities litigation costs. Not included in this adjustment are acquired in-process research and development expenses, which totaled zero and $3.0 million for the three months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, and zero and $19.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Ginkgo Bioworks Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
Los Angeles Times
17 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
United Airlines resolves tech problem that hit more than 1,000 flights, but residual delays likely
A disruption to a system housing United Airlines' flight information that caused more than 1,000 delays has been resolved, but delays continued into Thursday. The impacted system, called Unimatic, houses flight information that is fed to other systems including those that calculate weight and balance and track flight times, according to United. It's not clear what caused the problem, which was resolved late Wednesday. While residual delays were expected, the Chicago-based airline said its team was working to restore normal operations. About 35% of all the airline's flights were delayed and 7% were canceled Wednesday, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions. By late Thursday morning local Chicago time, 9% of United flights for the day were delayed and 5% were canceled. Around the same time, FlightAware reported 42 cancellations at Chicago O'Hare International Airport — 41 of which were United flights. An alert on the Federal Aviation Administration website Wednesday said all United flights destined for Chicago were halted at their departing airports. Flights to United hubs at Denver, Newark, Houston and San Francisco airports also were affected. United's travel alert page noted flights to or from several U.S. airports could be affected still on Thursday, including in Denver, Newark, Washington, Houston, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando, Chicago, San Francisco, Honolulu and Guam and some in Europe, such as London, Frankfurt and Munich. It was an improvement from earlier in the day, when the alert page said flights through Sunday might be impacted. 'Safety is our top priority, and we'll work with our customers to get them to their destinations,' an emailed statement from the airline said. The system outage, as the company described it, lasted several hours, the statement said. It wasn't related to recent concerns about airline industry cybersecurity. United said it was treating it as a controllable delay, meaning it paid customer expenses such as hotels when applicable. In an interview, United Airlines passenger Benjamin Fuentes, who flew from Boston to Houston, told KTRK-TV that they were told they would be waiting for a while after the plane landed. 'The first hour, people were already standing up and just walking around the cabin because there was nothing to do,' he said. 'I got on Netflix.' After about an hour, they were told the system was down nationwide, he said. Eventually, they learned that they found a gate, but it took another 45 minutes before they got there, he said. The FAA said in a statement Thursday that it was aware of the disruption to United operations, noting that delays may continue as the airline recovers. 'We've offered full support to help address their flight backlog and remain in close contact with United,' the FAA said. United Airlines apologized on social media and said in some cases it would pay for hotel and other expenses incurred by travelers because of the delays. 'Hey there, we apologize for the travel disruption today,' the airline told a customer on the social platform X. 'Our teams are working to resolve the outage as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.' Brook and Baumann write for the Associated Press. Associated Press airlines writer Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed.
