Alaska Airlines has temporarily grounded all of its mainline aircraft due to a major IT outage. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the ground stop in an advisory issued on Sunday.
According to the airline, the outage began early Sunday and disrupted operations across the country. Alaska Airlines stated that it had requested a system-wide pause for both Alaska and Horizon Air flights until the problem is fixed.
The airline said in a statement to AFP: “We experienced an IT outage that’s impacting our operations. As a result, we requested a temporary ground stop.”
The FAA website also listed that all destinations were affected by the grounding of Alaska’s mainline aircraft. The agency did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.
This unexpected suspension has caused delays and disruptions for travelers across the U.S. Many passengers were left waiting at airports without clear updates about their flights.
The incident adds to the airline’s recent safety and technical concerns. In January last year, a door panel detached mid-air from one of Alaska Airlines’ newly delivered Boeing 737 Max 9 jets. The aircraft was flying from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California.
That incident triggered an emergency landing and caused a rapid loss of cabin pressure. Thankfully, all 171 passengers and six crew members survived the dangerous blowout.
Following that event, the FAA grounded many Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft. The issue sparked criticism of Boeing’s manufacturing process.
Just last month, U.S. investigators said that Boeing’s lack of proper training for factory workers played a key role in the January 2024 incident. That investigation is still ongoing.
While the current IT outage is unrelated to the aircraft issue, it adds another challenge for the airline. Alaska Airlines has not yet shared a timeline for when flights will resume.
Passengers are being advised to check for updates before heading to the airport.
Alaska Airlines is working to restore systems and resume normal operations as soon as possible.
