Alaska Airlines Returns to Air Service Following Nationwide Halting of Flightsdue to IT Failure
On Sunday night, July 20, 2025, Alaska Airlines experienced a nationwide IT outage that disrupted hundreds of flights and affected thousands of passengers. The unexpected failure of a critical piece of multi-redundant hardware at the airline’s data centers, manufactured by a third party, was the cause of this incident.
The outage, which lasted about three hours from 8 p.m. Pacific Time, affected various operational systems, including flight scheduling, bookings, and passenger processing. This disruption led to a ground stop of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air flights, impacting airports such as Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Terminal announcements advised travelers of the outage, and social media was flooded with complaints and photos of crowded terminals.
Alaska Airlines has confirmed that the outage was not related to any cybersecurity incident or malicious attack. The airline has expressed sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused and has been working to restore normal operations. However, residual disruptions continued after the outage ended, with some travelers reporting waiting for hours without clear information from staff due to the IT disruption's impact on communication systems.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the ground stop was issued at the airline's request due to an internal system failure. The IT outage affected flight planning and dispatch operations, leading to the ground stop.
Passengers affected by the outage are urged to check their flight status before leaving for the airport, rebook via the airline's app or website, and contact customer service for compensation or travel vouchers if eligible. Alaska Airlines has also pledged to review and reinforce its IT systems to prevent future disruptions.
This incident serves as a reminder that even the most reliable carriers are not immune to technical breakdowns. Alaska Airlines' teams worked quickly to restore systems and get flights back in the air as safely and efficiently as possible. Despite the challenges faced, the airline remains committed to providing the best service to its passengers.
[1] Alaska Airlines Press Release, July 20, 2025. [2] Alaska Airlines Customer Service Update, July 20, 2025. [3] FAA Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), July 20, 2025. [4] Alaska Air Group IT Outage Report, 2024.
- The digital infrastructure of Alaska Airlines, despite being designed with multiple redundancies, succumbed to an unforeseen malfunction of a third-party-manufactured hardware, causing a significant disruption to their aviation operations on July 20, 2025.
- The logistics sector in Africa, which heavily relies on aviation for imports, might potentially experience delays due to the recent Alaska Airlines IT outage that affected hundreds of flights and airports across the west coast of the United States.
- As technological advancements continue to transform the lifestyle sector, including travel, incidents like Alaska Airlines' IT outage emphasize the importance of robust infrastructure and digital security measures to cater to the growing demands of passengers.
- The ports of Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, which were impacted by the Alaska Airlines' outage, could experience temporary turbulence in their shipping and cargo operations due to the ensuing flight disruptions.
- In the realm of general-news, experts predict that such IT outages will become more common as the aviation industry continues its integration with technology, underscoring the need for proactive measures and rigorous maintenance to ensure the safety and efficiency of air travel.
