Cracked windshield prompts United Airlines flight to divert to Denver

Pilots had to land a United Airlines flight at a Colorado airport on Sunday instead of its original destination because the plane had a cracked windshield, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The plane completed a safe landing at Denver International Airport early Sunday afternoon, having rerouted from its planned journey to the Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia, the FAA said. 

Both Denver and Dulles are among United’s eight U.S. hubs, according to its website.

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United said in a statement to FOX Business the diversion stemmed from a “maintenance issue.” The plane, a Boeing 737-800, was coming from Harry Reid International Airport, a major airport in the Las Vegas area.

166 passengers were traveling on the jet, along with seven crew members.

“After safely landing, customers deplaned normally and a plane change occurred,” United said.

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Toughened glass layers and other materials make up the airplane windshield, according to the FAA.

 United Airlines airplanes sit parked at a gate at Terminal C at Newark Liberty Airport as the sun sets on February 3, 2023, in Newark, New Jersey.  (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images / Getty Images)

United, which is headquartered in Chicago, said earlier in the month it operated over 3,500 domestic flights per day during its fiscal 2023 year. Over the year, roughly 165 million passengers flew with the airline.

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