System-wide disruption halts operations for nearly three hours
Alaska Airlines grounded all its flights late Sunday night due to a significant IT outage that disrupted its systems, the airline confirmed in a statement. The system-wide issue began around 11 p.m. ET and affected both Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air flights.
Flights resume, but delays expected
By 2 a.m. Monday, the airline announced that the ground stop had been lifted and operations had resumed. However, it warned of ongoing delays due to the need to reposition aircraft and crews.
“As we reposition our aircraft and crews, there will most likely be residual impacts to our flights,” the Seattle-based carrier said. “It will take some time to get our overall operations back to normal.”
Travelers were advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
Passengers report confusion and delays
Passengers at airports, including Portland International and Seattle-Tacoma, reported confusion during the outage. Some were told to retain hotel and rental car receipts for potential reimbursement. Others, like Jaclyn Martin, were instructed to deplane after sitting on a boarded aircraft for an hour.
Martin, who doesn’t fly often, described the experience as unsettling: “I don’t fly a lot. So, you know, I guess we’ll see what happens.”
Another traveler, Ben DeCarlow, said staff had little information to offer. “They just saw a network system error and couldn’t figure out any more than we could,” he said. “It was a 2.5-hour wait time for the 1-800 number.”
Despite the confusion, passengers reported that staff were apologetic throughout the ordeal.
Alaska Airlines: Cause of outage unknown
The airline has not provided details on what caused the outage. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also not released a comment. Alaska Airlines is still assessing the situation and its impact.
The incident follows a June cyberattack on Hawaiian Airlines, which Alaska Air Group also owns. At the time, the group stated it was evaluating the financial consequences of the breach.
Cybersecurity threats to the aviation sector
The IT outage occurs amid heightened concerns about cybersecurity in the aviation industry. Tech companies such as Google and Palo Alto Networks have recently issued warnings about the hacker group “Scattered Spider” and its interest in targeting the sector.
“There has been no impact on safety, and the airline continues to operate safely. We are monitoring the situation,” the FAA said in a statement regarding the recent hack on Hawaiian Airlines.
