United Flight to Chicago Delayed Over Four Hours After Attendants Fight

(DES MOINES, IOWA) United Airlines delayed a flight from Des Moines to Chicago by more than four hours after two flight attendants got into a physical altercation during boarding on October 27, 2025, prompting airport management to remove the original crew and bring in replacements. Flight UA2138, an Airbus A320 scheduled to leave Des Moines International Airport (DSM) at 11:26 a.m. for Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), did not take off until 3:24 p.m. It landed in Chicago at 5:09 p.m.

The disruption began as passengers were finding their seats and stowing bags on Flight UA2138. What started as an argument between two cabin crew members escalated into a heated exchange in front of travelers. The situation grew tense enough that airport management intervened. The airline deplaned passengers while it arranged for a new set of flight attendants to operate the aircraft, replacing the original crew involved in the confrontation.

The extended delay rippled across travel plans on a busy corridor between Des Moines and Chicago, one of United Airlines’ key hubs. Many passengers missed connecting flights or faced significant knock-on disruptions after the incident on the Des Moines tarmac. With the midday departure time wiped out and a mid-afternoon takeoff instead, travelers who had booked onward itineraries out of O’Hare arrived too late to make later flights, forcing them into rebookings or overnight plans in Chicago.

United Airlines has not publicly commented on the altercation, the decision to remove the original crew, or whether any disciplinary action is under consideration. The airline is continuing to investigate the matter. No names of the employees involved have been released, and no injuries were reported in initial accounts of the confrontation during the boarding process. The airline has not said how many passengers were on the Airbus A320 or how many missed onward connections in Chicago.

For passengers on Flight UA2138, the delay unfolded in several steps. Boarding began as usual in Des Moines before the disagreement between two crew members drew attention in the cabin. As the exchange intensified, United Airlines halted the departure and asked everyone to get off while management addressed the situation. The aircraft remained on the ground in Des Moines for hours as the airline secured a replacement crew, leading to a new departure time not until 3:24 p.m. That meant a late-afternoon arrival into O’Hare at 5:09 p.m., well beyond the original schedule.

The scale of the disruption stood out because it was not caused by weather, maintenance, or air traffic control. Instead, the catalyst was an onboard personnel conflict that unfolded in front of customers. While airlines regularly swap crews for scheduling and safety reasons, removing an entire working group mid-boarding is unusual and carries immediate consequences for timing, especially at an airport like Des Moines where spare crews may not be on hand.

United Airlines operates frequent service between Des Moines and Chicago, with O’Hare serving as a major connecting point for flights across the United States and overseas. That made the timing of Flight UA2138 especially sensitive for travelers booked onto tight connections or international departures later in the day. Once the flight finally departed Des Moines in the mid-afternoon, many onward options had narrowed, increasing the chance of missed evening departures out of Chicago and increasing the demand for rebooking help.

Passengers were left to wait in the terminal during the crew change, as United Airlines coordinated staffing and prepared the Airbus A320 for the new pushback time. The airline did not issue a public timeline while the replacement crew was being arranged. Some travelers on Flight UA2138 had to contact family members, employers, or hotels to change plans because the four-hour delay shifted their arrival window and upended onward itineraries tied to O’Hare’s evening schedule.

The incident also drew attention because it happened during boarding, a point in the travel day when passengers are in close quarters and reliant on flight attendants for instructions and reassurance. Witnesses described a heated exchange in front of passengers, which is why airport management stepped in and removed the original team. United Airlines then staffed the plane with a new set of flight attendants before the flight was allowed to leave Des Moines for Chicago.

United Airlines did not provide details on whether customers affected by the lengthy delay would receive accommodations or travel waivers, and it did not address how many connecting flights were missed after the late arrival into O’Hare. Travelers seeking guidance on airline policies for delays often consult the U.S. Department of Transportation’s resources; the department maintains an Aviation Consumer Protection portal that explains passenger rights and airline commitments for delays and cancellations. More information is available on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Aviation Consumer Protection website.

By early evening, the disruption had run its course for Flight UA2138, but it left a trail of rearranged schedules for those who had counted on a short hop to Chicago and quick transfers within O’Hare’s sprawling terminals. The lack of a stated cause beyond the onboard altercation, and the absence of a public statement about possible disciplinary steps, ensured that questions about what triggered the confrontation remained unanswered after the aircraft touched down at 5:09 p.m.

The timeline provided by airport and flight-tracking details underscores the unusual length of the delay for a short intra-Midwest leg. Instead of leaving at 11:26 a.m., United Airlines did not get the Airbus A320 airborne until 3:24 p.m., more than four hours later. Once airborne, the flight completed the route to Chicago as planned. The central difference was the crew swap in Des Moines and the hours spent on the ground while the airline reset operations on a day when a straightforward boarding gave way to a conflict in the cabin.

Des Moines travelers have long relied on United Airlines for connections through O’Hare, and such delays can reverberate beyond a single day’s disruptions. Business travelers lose meetings, families miss gatherings, and students risk late returns. The events on October 27 showcased how a single onboard incident can cascade across dozens of later flights when a hub airport is involved and when a late-afternoon departure squeezes the remaining window to connect.

United Airlines has not given a timeline for completing its review of what happened on Flight UA2138, and it has not said whether the employees involved are on leave or facing internal proceedings. The airline also did not say whether the captain or gate agents made the final decision to halt departure and request a full crew change, only that airport management intervened and replaced the original team. With no additional details released and no official quotes provided, the company’s investigation remains the only acknowledged next step.

For now, the record is clear on the basics: a boarding dispute between two flight attendants in Des Moines, a decision to deplane and replace the crew, a new departure time four hours after schedule, and a late-afternoon arrival into Chicago that left many travelers reshuffling plans. United Airlines, one of the largest carriers serving the route, is still examining how an argument on the jet bridge and in the cabin became a physical altercation and why it played out in view of passengers. Until that internal review is complete, the airline has not offered further explanation beyond confirming that Flight UA2138 eventually left Des Moines and arrived at O’Hare after a long and unexpected delay.