Alaska Airlines ends ground stop following IT disruption that impacts operations
Alaska Airlines experienced an unexpected IT outage on Sunday evening, causing a temporary ground stop for all its mainline flights and those operated by its subsidiary, Horizon Air. The incident, which lasted over three hours, resulted in flight delays and operational disruption for passengers and airline staff.
According to reports, Chris Fabregas, a passenger who had flown in from Nashville, waited more than three hours to deplane, while other passengers were stranded on planes for hours during the ground stop. A passenger traveling back to Indianapolis after a bachelorette party reported enduring "five gate changes" before eventually boarding a flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) website confirmed the ground stop request for Alaska Airlines mainline flights on Sunday. The FAA requested the ground stop for all Alaska Airlines mainline flights around 10:52 p.m. ET on Sunday, a measure that restricts certain planes from taking off and requires them to remain on the ground.
Alaska Airlines, the fifth-largest airline in the US, operates 238 aircraft under its primary brand, all Boeing planes, and 45 under Horizon Air. The airline serves over 120 destinations across five countries, catering to more than 44 million passengers a year. Horizon Air is a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group, serving mainly the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
The airline apologised for the inconvenience caused by the IT outage and resulting flight delays, but did not provide a cause for the disruption. They warned of potential delays and advised travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport. There will likely be residual impacts to Alaska Airlines' flights as they reposition aircraft and crews to return to normal operations.
Photos shared on social media show crowds stranded at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where the incident occurred. This is the second time in just over a year that Alaska Airlines has had to ground its mainline and Horizon flights due to an issue, following a system upgrade in April 2024.
This story has been updated with additional information. CNN's Martin Goillandeau contributed to this report.
In the midst of the chaos, stranded passengers waiting for hours to deplane, such as Chris Fabregas who arrived from Nashville, began questioning the impact of technology on their lifestyle as even a minor IT outage at Alaska Airlines caused a nationwide disruption. The incident prompted general news discussions, with individuals sharing their travel woes across various social media platforms, leading to a larger conversation about the dependency on technology in today's world.
