Alaska Airlines Flight Grounding: IT Outage Causes Nationwide Disruptions
Alaska Airlines Grounded by IT Outage, Disrupting Travel Plans
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Widespread Disruptions Impact Thousands
Thousands of travelers experienced meaningful disruptions on Thursday evening, February 8, 2024, as alaska Airlines implemented a ground stop due to a widespread IT outage. The outage prevented all Alaska Airlines flights from departing, impacting passengers across the United States and internationally.
The airline first announced the temporary ground stop on social media at 4:20 p.m.PST, apologizing for the inconvenience and advising passengers to verify their flight status before traveling to the airport.
Airport Impacts and System Failure
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Alaska Airlines’ primary hub, reported 82 flight delays and 17 cancellations by 7:00 p.m. PST, according to FlightAware. Los Angeles International Airport also experienced disruptions, with eight delays and one cancellation attributed to the airline.
Alaska Airlines stated the issue originated with a failure at its primary data center around 3:30 p.m.PST. The outage affected “several key systems” essential for operations,necessitating the ground stop to maintain aircraft positioning. The airline emphasized that the safety of its flights was not compromised.
Recurring IT Issues and Travel Waivers
This incident marks the second time in recent months that Alaska Airlines has been forced to ground flights due to IT problems. A similar outage in July 2024 resulted in a three-hour grounding of all flights.
As of 8:30 p.m. PST, the outage remained in effect, and the airline continued working to restore operations. Alaska Airlines apologized for the cancellations affecting both Thursday evening and anticipated flights on Friday,again urging passengers to check their flight status.
To mitigate the impact on travelers, Alaska Airlines has implemented a flexible travel policy, allowing passengers to change their flights at no cost or cancel for a full refund.
Customer Access Issues and Network Reach
Customers also reported difficulties accessing the airline’s website and mobile app during the outage. Alaska Airlines serves 40 destinations globally,reaching 37 U.S. states and 12 countries worldwide.