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Why did Alaska Airlines put its mainline flights on ground stops? What we know

The airlines urge travellers to check flight status as some operations might still face disruptions.
posted by Nirali Sheth
Sunday 7/20/2025 at 3:15PM EDT
  • Alaska Airlines (Photo: Instagram/@alaskaair)
    Alaska Airlines (Photo: Instagram/@alaskaair)

    Alaska Airlines recently asked for a temporary grounding of its mainline flights after an IT outage that impacted its operations. In an advisory on Sunday, July 20, 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that the company had requested to ground all of its aircrafts, including its Horizon Air, until the issue was straightened out.

    The Seattle-based airline took to its X account to urge travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport. Apologizing for the disruption, the message read:

    "(We) experiencing an IT outage affecting operations. A temporary ground stop is in place. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you're scheduled to fly tonight, please check your flight status before heading to the airport."

    Notably, a status page on the FAA's website listed all of the impacted destinations.

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    In a subsequent post, the company confirmed lifting the ground stop three hours after the stoppage.

    Pictures circulating online show many crowding airports as Alaska Airlines temporarily grounded fleet

    In their update, Alaska Airlines confirmed experiencing an "IT outage" around 8:00 p.m. (PT) in the evening.

    The post elaborated that it led to a "temporary, system-wide ground stop" for its mainline and Horizon Air flights.

    Per the company, they resolved the issue by 11:00 p.m. (PT) and resumed operation. However, the message continued:

    "As we reposition our aircraft and crews, there will most likely be residual impacts to our flights. It will take some time to get our overall operations back to normal."

    Notably, the airlines did not elaborate on the exact IT-related problem. It continued to ur travellers to check flight status.

    According to Financial Express, in light of the stoppage, thousands of passengers were left stranded. Pictures circulating online show many crowding the waiting area at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport due to the disruption.

    Another joked someone from Alaska Airlines' IT team should "unplug the computer, wait five seconds, and plug it back in."

    Comments reacting to the grounding (Image via X/ @ChrisFabregas, @kaitlyn1526)

    This is the second time in little over a year that Alaska Airlines grounded its fleet. Back in April 2024, a complication while upgrading its system that calculates weight and balance, disrupted the flights.

    Last January, a door plug section during a flight between Portland, Oregon, and Ontario, California, blew out (just after takeoff). This led to rapid decompression.

    However, all 171 passengers and six crew members aboard survived the disaster.

    Notably, the aircraft was a newly delivered Boeing 737 Max 9. This prompted the airlines to ground its 737 MAX 9 fleet.

    Meanwhile, the FAA ordered an immediate grounding of 171 aircraftwith similar configurations.

    According to the BBC, upon inspection, United Airlines found door plug "installation issues" on some of the planes inspected.

    Alaska Airlines, too, reported finding "loose hardware."

    According to CNBC TV, last month, investigators said that Boeing's "failure to provide adequet training to its manufacturing staff was a driving factor" in the blowout on the aforementioned near-fatal flight.

    Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines affiliate Hawaiian Airlines (Alaska Air Group owns it) was the target of a hack that affected some of its IT systems, reported Financial Express.

    TOPICS: Alaska Airlines