United Airlines says more than 200 passengers have been stranded for three days in Shanghai in a delay that began with an aircraft mechanical problem.
The passengers were supposed to leave on Wednesday for Newark, N.J. The airline says the Boeing 777 had a mechanical problem so the flight was canceled. The plane was not fixed in time to fly them out on Thursday.
United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson says the plane was fixed by Friday, but a boarding issue delayed the flight. That meant that the crew did not have enough time to make the flight under federal safety rules. So that flight was canceled, too.
The passengers have been staying in hotels. They're expected to be able to leave Saturday. The airline says they will get refunds.
©2013 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
