Alaska Airlines Ground Stop Caused by IT Failure

IT Outage Disrupts Alaska Airlines Operations

Seattle-based Alaska Airlines faced a significant IT outage on Sunday evening, which led to the temporary suspension of all its flights. The airline sought assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to implement a ground stop, affecting both its main operations and those of its regional subsidiary, Horizon Air. This incident occurred just one month after Hawaiian Airlines reported a similar issue involving hackers disrupting parts of its IT systems.

The disruption began around 8:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday. Alaska Airlines operates six major hubs in Anchorage, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles. By 10:00 p.m., over 160 flights were delayed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), representing nearly half of the airport’s total delays for the day. FlightAware reported only 14 flight cancellations during this time.

At Portland International Airport (PDX), there were 22 delays, with no cancellations reported. San Francisco International Airport (SFO) experienced 28 delays and two canceled flights, while Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) had 16 delays and no cancellations. San Diego International Airport (SAN) reported 16 delays and three cancellations, and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) had 34 delays but no cancellations.

Alaska Airlines confirmed the IT issue and stated that it requested a temporary, system-wide ground stop for its flights and those of Horizon Air until the problem was resolved. The airline emphasized that most flights were unaffected, but more delays were expected overnight and into Monday. It remains unclear when the ground stop will be lifted.

Ground Stop Lifted After Three Hours

According to an update, the ground stop was lifted by 11:00 p.m. Pacific Time. A spokesperson noted that operations had resumed, but there would likely be residual impacts as the airline repositions aircraft and crews. The process of returning to normal operations is expected to take some time.

Passenger Grant Watts was among those affected by the ground stop at Denver International Airport (DEN). According to The New York Times, Watts and his fiancée were on a flight that sat on the tarmac for two hours. They were eventually asked to deplane, despite the flight being scheduled to depart at 8:35 p.m. and later delayed to 10:21 p.m. The flight never actually departed.

Another passenger on flight AS599 from Las Vegas to Seattle described being stuck onboard for over an hour after landing. They expressed frustration, suggesting that the airline should consider bringing buses or moving parked planes to improve conditions on board.

Recent Cybersecurity Concerns

Alaska Airlines is not new to cybersecurity issues. Just last month, Hawaiian Airlines dealt with a breach of its computer systems caused by a group of young adult and teen hackers known as Scattered Spider. While the incident did not affect the carrier's flight schedule, it prompted collaboration with authorities and experts to investigate and strengthen security measures.

Scattered Spider has also targeted other airlines, including Canadian carrier WestJet. Although the group's involvement in Alaska's recent IT issues remains uncertain, the airline has been working to integrate Hawaiian's systems following a $1.9 billion acquisition of the Hawaii flag carrier.

Ongoing Challenges

As Alaska Airlines continues to address the current IT outage, passengers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport. The situation highlights the ongoing challenges that airlines face in maintaining operational efficiency amid increasing cyber threats and technological disruptions.