Seattle, WA – July 21, 2025 – Alaska Airlines issued an immediate ground stop for its entire mainline fleet—and regional partner Horizon Air—on Sunday evening following a widespread IT systems outage around 8 p.m. Pacific Time. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the grounding affected flights to all destinations.
🖥️ What Happened?
- IT Disruption: The airline reported a systems failure across operations, including reservations, scheduling, and dispatch tools. This sudden outage prompted the suspension of flight departures.
- FAA Ground Stop: The FAA’s status system reflected the ground stop request, impacting both Alaska and Horizon Air flights nationwide.
- Residual Impact: Alaska Airlines warned that operational disruptions would persist into the evening as teams worked to restore essential systems.
🎒 Passenger Fallout
- Stranded Travellers: Hundreds of passengers faced delays and cancellations, especially in Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, the airline’s primary hub. Reports of crowded terminals and confusion at gates have surfaced.
- Social Media Gripes: One traveler posted: “Hanging with a few thousand of my besties at Seattle Tacoma airport because of the @AlaskaAir grounding.”
Another joked:
“Can someone in IT just unplug the computer, wait 5 seconds, and plug it back in?”
🛠️ Context & Implications
- Fleet Size: Alaska Air Group operates 238 Boeing 737s and 87 Embraer 175s, all of which were included in the ground stop.
- Recent IT History: This incident follows an IT-related hack in June targeting Hawaiian Airlines, another carrier under Alaska Air Group. It’s unclear whether the two events are connected