Alaska Airlines had to ground all its flights after a major IT outage hit its systems on Sunday night. The airline said the problem began around 8 p.m. Pacific time and affected both Alaska and Horizon Air flights.
This sudden tech failure caused big trouble for passengers. Flights were delayed or canceled. People were stuck at airports. And Alaska Airlines gave no clear reason behind the outage.
Flights Stopped Across the U.S.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) posted a ground stop for all Alaska Airlines flights. This meant no plane from Alaska or Horizon was allowed to take off. The FAA did not give any details either.
The airline warned that the impact would continue through the night. It told passengers to check flight updates before heading to the airport.
Not the First Time
This is not the first time Alaska Airlines has faced such a problem. In April 2024, the airline grounded its entire fleet because of a system issue related to weight and balance calculations. Before that, in early 2024, a door panel blew off midair on an Alaska-operated Boeing 737 MAX 9.
Alaska Air Group owns 238 Boeing 737 planes and 87 Embraer 175 jets, according to its website.
Is This a Cyberattack?
There are rising fears that this outage could be linked to cyber threats. In June, Hawaiian Airlines, which is owned by Alaska Air Group, said it was hit by a cyber hack. The airline said it was still checking how much damage that caused.
At the same time, cybersecurity experts have warned that hacker groups like “Scattered Spider” are targeting the aviation industry. Recently, Microsoft also reported “active attacks” on its servers.
Some wonder if Alaska’s outage is part of a larger cyber problem. But the airline has not confirmed anything yet.
Other Airlines Also Affected Recently
Alaska Airlines is not alone. Canada’s WestJet and Australia’s Qantas also faced recent cyber problems. At Qantas, a hacker accessed the personal data of millions of passengers.
What’s Next?
Right now, Alaska Airlines is trying to fix the issue. But the timing and the silence raise many questions. Is it just a system error? Or something more serious?
Travelers are angry, tired, and stuck. And this isn’t the first time Alaska Airlines has let them down. If the airline doesn’t fix its tech problems soon, people may start looking for better options.
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