US carrier Alaska Airlines faced a serious IT (Information Technology) outage on Thursday evening, leading to a temporary grounding of all its flights across the country. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented this ground stop at the company's request, which also included flights of its subsidiary Horizon Air.
The company informed passengers via its official X handle @AlaskaAirNews, stating, "We are experiencing an IT outage affecting our operations. A temporary ground stop is in place. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you are scheduled to fly tonight, please check your flight status before heading to the airport." The disruption began around 7 PM, after which flights were immediately halted at all airports.
According to reports from some news channels, the outage is affecting over 140 destinations served by Alaska Airlines, including 37 US states and 12 countries. The company is primarily focused on the West Coast, but the impact was also felt at major hub airports in New York, Chicago, and others. Passengers are facing long delays, and many are stranded at airports. The company experienced a similar IT glitch in July, when flights were halted for three hours.
The exact cause of the disruption is not yet clear, but it is being attributed to a technical issue. The company stated that it is working to normalise the situation as soon as possible, and the process to restore operations has begun. Passengers have been urged to check flight updates via the company's website or app.
