Alaska Airlines Resumes Flights After System-Wide IT Outage Grounds Fleet

Alaska Airlines temporarily grounded all of its flights on Sunday night due to an unexpected IT outage. The disruption lasted for about three hours before the airline resumed operations.

The incident affected Alaska and Horizon Air flights across the U.S. and could continue to cause delays. The exact cause of the outage hasn’t been confirmed, and questions remain about whether it’s related to recent cybersecurity threats targeting the aviation industry.

Flights Grounded Nationwide for Three Hours

The issue began around 8 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, when Alaska Airlines issued a system-wide ground stop. The airline cited an IT outage that affected its ability to safely operate flights.

By 11 p.m. Pacific, the ground stop was lifted, and flights began operating again. However, the airline warned that passengers could still experience delays and disruptions as it works to reposition planes and crews.

“There will most likely be residual impacts to our flights,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement. “It will take some time to get our overall operations back to normal.”

The airline didn’t immediately explain what caused the outage or how many flights were delayed or canceled.

Second Major System Issue in Just Over a Year

This isn’t the first time Alaska Airlines has grounded its fleet over technical problems. In April 2024, the company halted all flights due to a malfunction in the system that calculates weight and balance for its planes—a critical function for safe takeoff and landing.

The latest outage adds to growing concerns about the airline’s tech infrastructure and its ability to prevent operational disruptions.

Alaska Airlines is based in Seattle and operates a fleet that includes 238 Boeing 737 aircraft and 87 Embraer 175 jets, according to its official website. Its regional carrier, Horizon Air, was also affected by the outage.

Cybersecurity Threats Loom Over the Aviation Sector

Although Alaska Airlines has not said whether Sunday’s outage was caused by a cyberattack, the incident comes amid a wave of digital threats facing the aviation industry.

In June, WestJet Airlines in Canada reported a cyber incident, and earlier this month, Australia’s Qantas Airlines revealed a data breach that exposed the personal information of millions of customers.

Hawaiian Airlines, which is owned by Alaska Air Group, also experienced IT disruptions in June due to a hacking event. The company is still assessing the financial impact of that breach.

Tech security companies, including Google and Palo Alto Networks, have recently warned about an aggressive hacking group known as “Scattered Spider,” which has shown interest in aviation and transportation systems.

On Sunday, Microsoft reported that “active attacks” were targeting its server software used by governments and businesses. It’s unclear whether Alaska’s outage is related, and the airline has not responded to questions about a possible connection.

Passengers Advised to Check Flight Status

As operations slowly return to normal, Alaska Airlines is encouraging travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport. Delays and schedule changes are likely as the airline recovers from the unexpected shutdown.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did not issue a public safety alert during the outage, but it did acknowledge the ground stop and confirmed it had been lifted by late Sunday night.

For now, passengers should stay in contact with the airline and monitor travel updates as Alaska works through the backlog of delayed flights and crew changes.

Final Thoughts

The brief but widespread shutdown of Alaska Airlines’ operations is the latest reminder of how vulnerable modern air travel systems are to IT failures and cybersecurity threats.

While flights are now back in the air, the airline has not yet explained what caused the problem — and it may take time to learn whether it was simply a technical glitch or something more serious.

Travelers affected by the outage should stay updated on any schedule changes and reach out to Alaska Airlines customer service for rebooking or compensation information.