United Airlines is still feeling the effects of logistical problems at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) that erupted earlier this spring.
On Thursday, the airline’s shares were down 3% in premarket trading after it revealed its Q2 earnings dipped, following the operational challenges at EWR in April and May, according to Reuters. The airport, which is an important hub for United and one of the nation’s busiest facilities, faced air traffic controller shortages, equipment outages, and runway construction that coalesced to create widespread flight delays and cancellations.
United said its earnings took a 1.2 percentage point hit in the second quarter, following the issues at Newark.
Fortunately, the situation at Newark seems to be more or less resolved for the moment, with ongoing flight limits to ease delays and cancellations and a completed runway construction project. United said Newark had the best on-time performance out of the three New York-area airports during the busy July Fourth travel period.
Despite the constraints from Newark, the airline’s earnings report did show some signs of optimism, with CEO Scott Kirby noting that travel demand was rising, particularly from price-sensitive budget travelers, who were hesitant to book domestic leisure travel in economy class throughout the first quarter of the year. “The world is less uncertain today than it was during the first six months of 2025 and that gives us confidence about a strong finish to the year,” Kirby said on the call.
Demand for premium products remained strong in the second quarter—a trend that began earlier this year and shows no signs of slowing down. United’s Q2 premium revenue jumped 5.6% compared to last year.
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