Alaska Airlines has resumed operations after an unexpected IT outage forced a system-wide ground stop of all mainline aircraft and Horizon Air flights late Sunday evening. According to Fox Business, the technical failure occurred around 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time on July 20. This left thousands of travelers stranded at airports, with some passengers confined to grounded aircrafts for hours. The FAA confirmed that the ground stop was officially lifted at 11 p.m. Pacific Time (2 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday). This allowed flights to resume after approximately three hours of disruption.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, a major hub for Alaska Airlines, experienced significant congestion. Frustrated travelers faced extended delays, multiple gate changes, and growing uncertainty about their travel plans. Alaska Airlines representatives issued apologies to affected customers in a statement to CNN, while working to normalize operations across their network.
What Caused The Alaska Airlines System Failure
The airline identified the root cause as a “critical piece of multi-redundant hardware” at its data centers that experienced an “unexpected failure.” This third-party-manufactured equipment impacted several key systems necessary for Alaska Airlines to maintain normal operations. Despite the technical difficulties, the company emphasized that flight safety was never compromised during the incident.
However, flight disruptions are likely to persist as the airline works to reposition its aircraft and crews throughout its network. Travelers scheduled to fly with Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air should check their flight status before heading to the airport. The company warns it will take time for operations to return to normal.
The company stated, “We’re working to get them to their destinations as quickly as we can.” Still, the airline acknowledges that it will take time to fully stabilize its operation. Travelers with flexible plans may want to consider rebooking options as the airline works through the backlog of affected flights.
