Alaska Airlines experienced a nationwide ground stop Thursday evening, halting all flights due to a significant technology outage. While operations have since been restored, the disruption led to hundreds of flight cancellations and ongoing travel delays for passengers.
Key Takeaways
- Alaska Airlines issued a nationwide ground stop Thursday evening due to an IT outage.
- The ground stop has been lifted, but hundreds of flights remain canceled.
- This is the second major technology-related disruption for the airline in recent months.
Nationwide Ground Stop Implemented
Alaska Airlines temporarily grounded all of its flights across the country on Thursday evening. The airline cited a technology outage as the cause for the widespread disruption. While the exact nature of the IT issue has not been fully disclosed, the outage necessitated a complete halt in operations for several hours.
Lingering Effects and Cancellations
Although the ground stop was lifted, the impact of the outage continued into Friday. Alaska Airlines reported that over 360 flights on Alaska and Horizon Air had been canceled. The airline warned that further disruptions were likely as they worked to re-establish normal schedules and manage the backlog of passengers.
Previous Disruptions
This incident marks the second significant technology-related ground stop for Alaska Airlines within a few months. In July, the airline also experienced a similar pause in flights for nearly three hours due to a separate technological issue. Airline officials are urging passengers to check their flight status before traveling to the airport.
Sources
- Alaska Airlines cancels 360+ flights after nationwide ground stop, Your Alaska Link.
- Alaska Airlines Restores Operations After Technology Outage, NBC Palm Springs.
