Alaska Airlines Lifts Ground Stop After IT Outage Disrupts Flights
Alaska Airlines resumed its flight operations late Sunday night after a temporary system-wide ground stop halted all mainline aircraft, according to both the airline and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The disruption began around 8 p.m. Pacific Time on July 20, when Alaska Airlines experienced a major IT outage. This technical issue led to a ground stop for all Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air flights, causing delays across multiple destinations.
“At approximately 8 p.m. Pacific on July 20, we experienced an IT outage that resulted in a temporary, system-wide ground stop for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air flights,” an Alaska Airlines spokesperson said in an official statement to FOX Business.
By 11 p.m. Pacific Time, the FAA and Alaska Airlines confirmed the ground stop had been lifted. “As of 11 p.m. Pacific, the ground stop has been lifted, and our operations have resumed,” the airline’s spokesperson stated. However, they warned passengers of likely residual disruptions as the airline worked to reposition aircraft and crew: “It will take some time to get our overall operations back to normal.”
In their apology to travelers, Alaska Airlines encouraged customers to check their flight status before heading to the airport, citing ongoing recovery efforts from the system failure.
Earlier on Sunday, the FAA’s official status page had listed a nationwide ground stop for Alaska’s mainline and Horizon aircraft, affecting all destinations. Passengers were also met with messages on the Alaska Airlines website confirming the IT system issues.
Adding to recent turbulence for the airline, this IT outage follows a major lawsuit settlement involving Alaska Airlines and Boeing, related to a midflight door plug failure.
