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Seattle / USA – July 21, 2025 – Alaska Airlines issued an immediate ground stop for all its mainline flights—including Horizon Air regional services—Sunday evening following a major IT systems outage that disrupted operations across its network. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the move via its status page, affecting departures to more than 200 destinations.
What Triggered the Halt?
- Around 8 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, Alaska Airlines experienced a core IT failure. The carrier described the incident as a “system-wide outage” affecting reservation, scheduling, and dispatch platforms, prompting the unexpected grounding.
- The FAA status page confirmed the request for a ground stop for all Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air flights.
Passenger Disruption & Airline Response
- Stranded flyers across domestic U.S. airports faced delays and cancellations with little prior notice. Many were left stranded, and customer service teams scrambled to find backup flights or accommodations.
- An Alaska Airlines spokesperson acknowledged the outage, apologized for the inconvenience, and said a full remediation effort was underway. Longer-term disruptions were expected into the evening.
Broader Implications
- The carrier’s fleet includes 238 Boeing 737s and 87 Embraer 175s—virtually all grounded.
- This incident follows a cybersecurity incident in June, when Hawaii-based Hawaiian Airlines (also under Alaska Air Group) suffered an IT systems hack. The group is now assessing whether the current outage is related.
