Chicago – United Airlines said it was an employee mistake that caused the computer problem that halted all of its flight departures around the world for two hours Wednesday morning.
In a message to employees, United chief operating officer Pete McDonald said it was “human error, during routine system testing” that shut down its Unimatic system used for operations to dispatch flights.
At least 268 United flights were delayed and 24 canceled by the outage, with an average delay of about an hour and a half.
An employee “made a mistake and caused the failure of both Unimatic and our backup system,” McDonald said. “By 10 a.m., Unimatic was up and running with enough capacity to operate the airline. Working overnight, the (information-services division) team restored the system.”
The airline still had “a handful” of delays Thursday morning, according to chief executive Glenn Tilton. Nearly 69 percent of flights were on time as of Thursday morning, McDonald said.
DENVER
9% vacancy rates for affordable rental units
The metro area had the highest vacancy rate in the state for affordable rental units during the first quarter, according to a report released Wednesday.
The statewide average rental rate was $681.30. Average rents ranged from $711.80 in the Denver area to $538.01 in Pueblo.
The vacancy rate for affordable units in the metro area was 9 percent, compared with 6 percent statewide, according to the Colorado Division of Housing and the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority.
The metro counties with the lowest vacancies were Boulder and Denver counties, with rates of 1.4 and 4.8 percent respectively. Statewide, the communities with the lowest vacancies were Colorado Springs, 5.4 percent, and Greeley, 4.4 percent.
GOLDEN
Mainstay Foss store closing after 94 years
Foss General Store in Golden will close after 94 years, it told the city this week.
Heinie Foss and company president Bob Lowry would not give interviews “due to the emotional nature associated with closing a business of this tenure,” a news release said.
The store – an institution in Golden at 1224 Washington St. – cited competitive issues associated with its pharmacy business.
The last day of business has not been decided, but the store will close by the end of the year.
DENVER
Foundation’s assets over $500 million
The Denver Foundation, the state’s largest community foundation, announced Thursday that its assets have surpassed $500 million.
The foundation credited gifts from metro-area residents for the increase. The foundation, established in 1925, provided $115 million in gifts in 2006 to support various community projects.
LONDON
Marsico to run three Gartmore stock funds
Gartmore Investment Management PLC, the money manager acquired last year by buyout firm Hellman & Friedman LLC, named Marsico Capital Management LLC to run three of its U.S. stock funds.
Denver-based Marsico will oversee Gartmore US Opportunities Fund, Gartmore US Growth Fund and Gartmore SICAV US Opportunities Fund, London-based Gartmore said Thursday in a statement.
AUSTIN, Texas
Whole Foods seeks FTC data on retailers
Government lawyers are trying to block Whole Foods Market Inc. from gaining more access to financial information about other retailers in an antitrust lawsuit against the natural- and organic-food chain.
Lawyers for the Federal Trade Commission said their ability to enforce antitrust laws would be harmed by letting Whole Foods see the data on competitors.
The FTC this month sued to block Whole Foods from buying Boulder-based Wild Oats Markets Inc. – saying the $565 million deal would give Whole Foods too much control over the natural and organic food market.
FTC lawyers said that in building their case against Whole Foods, they talked to other companies to learn about the grocery industry.
ELKO, Nev.
Search continues as miner’s loader found
The scoop loader operated by a missing miner has been located, but there is still no sign of the worker, who is feared trapped beneath rubble from a collapse inside a Nevada gold mine.
More than 800 tons of rock and debris were moved Thursday as the search continued at Newmont-owned Midas mine, officials with the Denver-based company said.
Remote cameras and sensitive listening equipment are being used to find the man, who disappeared Tuesday morning. He had been operating the loader 200 feet below Midas mine’s entrance, but could now be as deep as 320 feet based on the loader’s location, Newmont said in a statement.
PHILADELPHIA
Comcast: Qwest woes are Qwest’s fault
Comcast has responded to Qwest’s allegations that the cable company intentionally prevented some of its phone customers from calling Qwest’s operators in an effort to switch service.
Comcast said in a letter to Qwest that the problem arose because of Qwest’s outdated legacy system. Comcast requests that Qwest “issue public retractions of its statements to all government agencies and media organizations.”
If Qwest doesn’t do so, Comcast may “use all available legal means to protect its name and reputation in the marketplace.”
DENVER
Real-estate board disciplines 2 appraisers
The Colorado Board of Real Estate Appraisers has suspended the license of a Loveland appraiser it accuses of overstating the value of a 35-acre piece of land outside Walsenberg for sale as a conservation easement.
Julie M. O’Gorman valued the land at $640,000, the board said, based on a faulty analysis of comparable properties and other factors. The board said O’Gorman was not qualified to appraise land for a conservation easement. An inflated value for such a property could result in a significant tax benefit to the owner, the board said.
Also Thursday, the board said it fined Parker appraiser James Esters $24,000 and revoked his license. Esters is accused of overvaluing seven properties in Pueblo.
NEW YORK
Blackstone IPO largest in U.S. in five years
Blackstone Group LP, undeterred by congressional attempts to raise taxes on private-equity firms, raised $4.13 billion in the largest U.S. initial public offering in five years.
