All United Continental flights in the U.S. were grounded for about two hours on Wednesday due to computer problems, delaying some arrivals and departures at Canada's three largest airports.
United cited "network connectivity" for the problems, the second time in two months that the airline has been hit by major technical issues.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said the airline had requested the "ground stop" order and then asked for it to be lifted mid-morning.
An industry analyst said the grounding will frustrate Air Canada (TSX:AC) passengers travelling on codeshare with United, but have little lasting impact on United or its Canadian partner.
"The next time you book a flight you probably will remember it but you're going to most likely look for the cheapest fare or the best connection. That's going to be a minor consideration," said David Tyerman of Canaccord Genuity.
Tyerman said there should be no impact on WestJet (TSX:WJA) unless passengers are able to switch from United to the Calgary carrier.
