Seattle, WA
In a major disruption that left thousands of passengers stranded across the United States, Alaska Airlines and its regional partner Horizon Air were forced to ground their entire fleet for approximately three hours on Sunday evening due to a significant information technology outage.
The Alaska Airlines ground stop began around 8:00 PM Pacific Time on July 20, 2025, affecting all mainline and regional aircraft operations nationwide. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the system-wide halt, which impacted over 238 Boeing 737 aircraft and 87 Embraer 175 regional jets operated by the Alaska Air Group.
What Happened During the Alaska Airlines IT Crisis
The Alaska Airlines outage struck without warning, forcing the Seattle-based carrier to request an emergency ground stop from federal aviation authorities. Unlike previous incidents, the airline has not disclosed the specific nature of the technical failure that crippled its operations.
“We are experiencing an IT outage that is impacting our operations. We requested a temporary, system-wide ground stop for Alaska and Horizon Air flights until the issue is resolved,” Alaska Airlines stated in an official announcement.
The ground stop was lifted at 11:00 PM Pacific Time, allowing Alaska Airlines flights to gradually resume operations. However, the airline warned passengers that residual delays and cancellations would continue as crews and aircraft were repositioned across the network.
Impact on Passengers and Flight Operations
Major airports across the country experienced significant disruptions, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Alaska’s primary hub), San Francisco International, Denver International, and Miami International airports.
According to FlightAware tracking data, at least 17 Alaska Airlines flights experienced delays and 10 were canceled as operations slowly returned to normal. Passengers reported long queues, unresponsive mobile apps, and confusion at departure gates during the Alaska Airlines delay.
Second Major Grounding in Just Over a Year
This Alaska Airlines news marks the second time in just over 12 months that the carrier has been forced to ground its entire fleet due to technical issues. In April 2024, a similar disruption occurred when problems with the airline’s weight and balance calculation system caused widespread flight cancellations.
The timing of Sunday’s Alaska Airlines IT outage coincides with increased cybersecurity threats targeting the aviation industry. In June 2025, Hawaiian Airlines – also owned by Alaska Air Group – experienced IT system disruptions due to a cyberattack.
Industry experts have raised concerns about the “Scattered Spider” hacking group’s focus on aviation targets, though Alaska Airlines has not confirmed whether Sunday’s outage was related to any security breach.
Airline’s Response and Passenger Guidance
Alaska Airlines officials emphasized their commitment to resolving the situation quickly while acknowledging the inconvenience caused to travelers.
“As we reposition our aircraft and crews, there will most likely be residual impacts to our flights. It will take some time to get our overall operations back to normal,” the airline stated in social media updates.
The carrier advised all passengers with upcoming Alaska Airlines reservations to check their flight status before heading to airports and to expect potential delays throughout the evening and into Monday morning.
What This Means for Alaska Airlines Operations
The Alaska Airlines fleet grounding highlights the critical importance of robust IT infrastructure in modern aviation operations. As the fifth-largest US airline, Alaska Airlines operates a significant portion of West Coast domestic and international routes.
This incident comes at a challenging time for the airline industry, which has faced increasing pressure to modernize aging computer systems while maintaining operational reliability. The National Transportation Safety Board previously credited Alaska Airlines crews for their professional response during the January 2024 door plug incident on Flight 1282.
Looking Ahead
While Alaska Airlines operations have resumed, the carrier continues to work on fully restoring normal service levels across its network. The airline has not yet announced whether compensation will be provided to affected passengers or disclosed the total number of travelers impacted by the three-hour ground stop.
Industry analysts will be closely watching how quickly Alaska Airlines can return to full operational capacity and whether any additional technical issues emerge in the coming days. The incident serves as a reminder of how quickly modern airline operations can be disrupted by IT failures, regardless of the carrier’s size or reputation.
