Alaska Airline's operations temporarily halted due to a prolonged computer failure.
On Sunday evening, July 20, 2025, Alaska Airlines experienced an unexpected IT outage, leading to a temporary grounding of all its flights, including those operated by its subsidiary Horizon Air. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the grounding was requested by Alaska Airlines.
The IT outage, which began around 8 p.m. Pacific Time, caused the airline to briefly ground its entire fleet of 325 aircraft, including 238 Boeing 737s and 87 Embraer 175 aircraft. The ground stop lasted approximately three hours and was lifted around 11 p.m. Pacific Time.
Specific details about the technical cause of the IT outage were not publicly disclosed. Alaska Airlines did not provide further information about the nature of the system failure nor how many flights were affected during the outage. The airline acknowledged ongoing residual impacts on flights as crews and aircraft were being repositioned following the outage, and cautioned that it would take some time to return operations to normal.
In a brief statement, Alaska Airlines apologised for the inconvenience and assured that they were working to resolve the issues. No indication was given that any flights in mid-air were interrupted.
This incident marked another challenge for Alaska Airlines, which had previously encountered tech issues leading to flight disruptions in September 2024. The FAA did not mention any involvement in the grounding of flights due to the incident.
Following the resolution of the software issues, Alaska Airlines resumed operations. However, delays are expected due to the disruption caused by the IT outage. Details about the number of affected passengers or any incidents during the grounding remain initially unknown.
This incident serves as a reminder of the crucial role technology plays in airline operations and the potential impact of IT outages on passengers and schedules. Alaska Airlines has not yet released further updates regarding the incident or the steps they are taking to prevent such occurrences in the future.
The IT outage, affecting Alaska Airlines on July 20, 2025, stirred debates about the airline's employment policy, as the general-news spread about the potential impacts on flights and passengers. Moreover, the incident underscores the importance of robust technology infrastructure in employment policies, given the critical role technology plays in aviation operations.
