Sudden IT Outage Causes Major Disruptions for Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines faced a significant disruption when it had to ground its entire fleet of aircraft late Sunday night due to an unexpected IT outage. The incident, which began around 11 p.m. Eastern Time, led to the suspension of all flights under the Alaska Airlines brand. This included Horizon Air, a regional airline operated by Alaska Air Group, as the issue expanded in scope.
The Seattle-based airline initially issued a ground stop that affected over 200 aircraft. Around 2 a.m. on Monday, the company updated its social media platforms, confirming that the system-wide ground stop had been lifted and operations were beginning to resume. However, the airline warned that the effects of the outage would not be resolved immediately. “As we reposition our aircraft and crews, there will most likely be residual impacts to our flights. It will take some time to get our overall operations back to normal,” the airline stated.
While the exact cause of the IT failure was not disclosed, the airline confirmed that the outage occurred around 8 p.m. Pacific Time (0300 GMT on Monday). A statement released early Monday read: “At approximately 8pm Pacific on Sunday (0300 GMT on Monday), Alaska Airlines experienced an IT outage that’s impacting our operations. We requested a temporary, system-wide ground stop for Alaska and Horizon Air flights.”
Passengers Left in Confusion and Delays
The sudden halt to operations left many passengers stranded and confused. Some were stuck on the tarmac for hours with limited information from staff. Travelers at airports across the country, particularly at Denver International Airport, faced prolonged delays. Many reported being unable to collect their luggage or secure alternate flights late into the night. Some were still aboard grounded planes waiting for instructions hours after the initial system failure.
Grant Watts, who was on a grounded Alaska Airlines flight in Denver on Sunday night, described the experience as frustrating. “We had been waiting on the tarmac for two hours,” he said. “At about 10:30 p.m., passengers were finally informed that they would have to exit the plane.” Other travelers shared similar stories of confusion and inconvenience during the outage.
A Pattern of Technical Issues
This incident adds to a growing list of technical challenges for Alaska Airlines. In April 2024, the carrier grounded all of its planes due to a software malfunction in the system used to calculate aircraft weight and balance. That event came shortly after a door panel on a Boeing 737 MAX 9—operated by Alaska—blew off mid-flight, raising concerns about the airline’s safety protocols.
Growing Concerns About Aviation Cybersecurity
The recent IT issues come amid broader concerns about cybersecurity in the aviation industry. This marks the second time in just over a year that Alaska Airlines has grounded its fleet due to system issues. The airline’s IT troubles coincide with increasing threats from cybercriminals targeting the sector.
In June, Hawaiian Airlines, also owned by Alaska Air Group, experienced disruptions after hackers targeted its IT infrastructure. While the financial impact of the attack remains undisclosed, the airline acknowledged ongoing assessments. Tech companies like Google and cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks have recently flagged the aviation sector as a target of the hacker group known as “Scattered Spider.” Other airlines have also suffered digital attacks this year.
WestJet Airlines in Canada dealt with an unspecified cyber incident in June, and Australia’s Qantas faced a massive data breach in July involving millions of customers’ personal details. Meanwhile, Microsoft revealed on Sunday that it had detected “active attacks” on its server software, affecting both government and business systems. It remains unknown whether the Alaska Airlines outage is connected to these attacks. The airline has not responded to inquiries regarding any potential link to the Microsoft incident.
Operational Overview
Alaska Airlines currently operates a fleet of 238 Boeing 737 aircraft and 87 Embraer 175 jets through Horizon Air. The airline flies to over 120 destinations across five countries and serves more than 44 million customers annually. Despite the recent challenges, the airline continues to work toward restoring normal operations and addressing the long-term impacts of the IT outage.
