United Airlines will now text passengers live radar maps to explain flight delays caused by weather. Even on clear days, distant thunderstorms can impact flights.
The Federal Aviation Administration may issue ground stops to prevent airport overloads, and weather can also lead to longer flight routes and delays. Thunderstorms, which are less predictable than winter storms or hurricanes, can cause cascading delays and disrupt crew schedules.
A new AI system provides live radar maps to explain flight delays caused by weather.United’s new system, powered by generative AI, will send links to live radar maps from FlightAware and provide updates on other disruptions, such as mechanical issues or airport congestion.
This technology will be especially useful during the busy July Fourth holiday period when United anticipates a record 5 million passengers between June 28 and July 8, a 7% increase from the previous year.
In the first half of the year, nearly 942,000 U.S. flights (21.4%) were delayed, showing slight improvement from the 22.3% delay rate of the previous year, according to FlightAware.