Alaska Airlines Grounds Entire US Fleet After Major IT Outage Disrupts Thousands of Flights

Alaska Airlines abruptly grounded its entire U.S. fleet after a major IT outage.

“Updated 24 October 2025 at 06:47 IST The US carrier Alaska Airlines said it had grounded its flights at all airports on Thursday evening due to an unspecified technology outage affecting its operations”

Republic World

This halt affected both mainline flights and its regional carrier Horizon Air.

Republic World

The outage caused nationwide delays and cancellations.

Reports vary on the exact timing, but all agree it occurred Thursday evening.

The airline requested a ground stop, which involved the FAA.

Multiple sources confirm that Horizon Air was included in the scope of the halt.

Coverage highlights the suddenness and wide reach of the stoppage.

The outage caused confusion at airports across the country.

Several outlets attribute the outage to a failure at Alaska’s primary data center and stress it was not a cyberattack.

However, others say the cause was not disclosed.

The Times of India

Reports also diverge on how long the disruption lasted.

Some describe roughly eight hours of system-wide impact.

Others specify the FAA ground stop itself was closer to about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

These differences reflect varying emphases between cause-confirming reports and cautionary accounts that withheld attribution.

The scale of disruption was significant, with multiple sources citing more than 229 cancellations and widespread delays.

“Alaska Airlines and its subsidiary Horizon Air temporarily grounded all flights on Thursday evening due to an unspecified IT outage affecting their operations”

thedailyjagran

These issues caused knock-on impacts as the airline worked to reposition aircraft and crews.

Some reports listed specific airport disruptions and described crowded terminals and long waits.

A few outlets noted that Hawaiian Airlines was unaffected despite being under the same parent group.

This detail reinforced that the outage was confined to Alaska and Horizon operations.

Passengers reported long lines, a lack of information, and crowded terminals.

The airline apologized, implemented a flexible travel policy, and advised travelers to check flight status.

businessinsider

Some outlets detail specific rebooking windows and note that flight safety was not compromised.

Consumer-focused coverage also points travelers to Department of Transportation options for rebooking or choosing not to fly during such carrier-caused disruptions.

Context and implications vary by outlet.

“On October 23, Alaska Airlines grounded all flights nationwide due to an IT outage impacting its operations”

iHeart

Some center the event within a pattern of Alaska’s recent tech troubles and broader airline IT fragility.

iHeart

Others focus on the company’s financial trajectory and guidance.

Several note similar outages earlier this year tied to data center issues.

Market-focused coverage points to revenue figures, share performance, and forecast changes.

A few outlets also mention the outage’s timing amid other operational pressures on the industry and potential regulatory scrutiny over airline IT resilience.