(ALASKA, UNITED STATES) Alaska Airlines said its operations have returned to normal after a major IT outage triggered a systemwide ground stop for Alaska and Horizon Air flights beginning Thursday, Oct. 23. The airline reported widespread cancellations and delays across its network through Friday, with recovery work continuing into Saturday, Oct. 25.
Company officials said the issue began around 3:30 p.m. Pacific Time on Thursday due to a failure at the airline’s primary data center. The ground stop was lifted at 11:30 p.m. Thursday, but ripple effects continued into Friday as aircraft and crews had to be repositioned.
Scale and impact of the disruption
In a series of updates, Alaska detailed the scope of the disruption:
- By early Friday, the airline recorded more than 360 cancellations, rising to more than 400 cancellations by Friday afternoon.
- As of early Saturday, the carrier said it had canceled nine flights related to recovery efforts.
- Over two days, Alaska said the disruption impacted nearly 50,000 passengers.
- Hawaiian Airlines flights were not affected.
The company emphasized that the IT outage was not a cybersecurity incident, and said flight safety was never at risk.
“We know our guests put their trust in us when they choose to fly,” the airline said, adding that while safety remains the most important responsibility, reliable operations are a key expectation.
Customer experience and company response
Alaska repeatedly apologized to travelers for the delays and cancellations, acknowledging that guests faced long waits for support as call and chat volumes spiked. The airline urged customers to check flight status before heading to the airport and highlighted a flexible travel policy that lets guests make changes through the app and website.
Actions Alaska reported taking:
- Increased staffing in guest care to handle higher demand.
- Encouraged use of self-service rebooking via the app and website.
- Brought in outside technical experts to conduct a full review of IT infrastructure.
- Pledged transparency and follow-up updates as remediation proceeds.
Alaska also acknowledged past disruptions and said it had taken steps earlier in the year to harden systems—but that the latest failure showed more work is needed.
Timeline of the disruption
- Thursday, Oct. 23, ~3:30 p.m. PT
- Failure at the primary data center triggered a significant IT outage affecting several key systems.
- A systemwide ground stop for Alaska and Horizon Air flights was imposed.
- The airline reiterated the event was not related to other incidents and was not a cybersecurity issue.
- Thursday, Oct. 23, 11:30 p.m. PT
- Ground stop lifted.
- Alaska began restoring operations and warned of continued delays and cancellations during recovery.
- Early Friday, Oct. 24
- Alaska and Horizon reported more than 229 cancellations since Thursday afternoon.
- Additional disruptions were expected as aircraft and crews were repositioned.
- Friday morning, Oct. 24
- Cancellations rose to more than 360.
- Hawaiian Airlines remained unaffected.
- Friday afternoon, Oct. 24
- Cancellations surpassed 400 flights across Alaska and Horizon.
- Over 49,000 passengers had plans disrupted over two days.
- Saturday morning, Oct. 25
- Operations were reported as “returned to normal,” though nine flights were canceled as part of recovery efforts.
- Alaska reiterated apologies and urged guests to continue checking flight status.
What travelers should do now
Alaska’s guidance has been consistent: check flight status, use self-service tools, and expect longer waits for phone support. This aligns with general best practices for large disruptions.
Recommended steps for affected travelers:
- Confirm the latest flight status in the app or online before leaving for the airport.
- If your flight was canceled, use self-service rebooking under the flexible policy to secure the earliest available option.
- Keep notifications enabled; Alaska is sending updates as aircraft and crews are repositioned.
- If you must seek in-person help, arrive early and be prepared for lines while airport teams continue recovery work.
- Hold onto receipts for disrupted travel plans in case reimbursement or claims are needed.
For broader context on ground stops and airspace management, travelers can refer to the Federal Aviation Administration’s official resources: https://www.faa.gov.
Why recovery takes time
When a carrier imposes a ground stop due to an IT outage, several operational challenges follow:
- Aircraft can fall out of planned rotation quickly.
- Crews may be away from where they need to be because of duty limits and schedules.
- Even after systems are restored, airlines often face rolling delays and further cancellations while rebuilding normal flows.
Alaska’s updates illustrate this reality: although the ground stop ended late Thursday, the network needed time to stabilize and recovery continued into Saturday morning.
Technical and long-term actions
Alaska stressed the outage was unrelated to cyber threats and confirmed safety was never compromised. The company announced it is:
- Bringing in outside technical experts to audit the entire IT infrastructure.
- Aiming to improve resilience so a single-point failure—such as a data center outage—does not cascade across operational systems.
The airline called the recent performance unacceptable and pledged to share updates as it executes remediation plans.
Human impact and practical tips
The numbers show the human side of the disruption: nearly 50,000 people affected over two days. Families missed connections, business travelers lost meetings, and some passengers needed last-minute changes for medical or community obligations.
Practical tips for regaining control during similar events:
- Check flight status frequently.
- Consider nearby airports and alternate routings.
- Use self-service channels first to rebook.
- Keep receipts and documentation for any extra expenses.
Hawaiian Airlines flights were not impacted, which can matter when deciding whether to travel to a shared terminal or seek alternatives on separate tickets.
Closing note
Alaska closed its Saturday update promising continued transparency as it works to strengthen systems. For passengers moving through the U.S. air network this weekend, the message is:
- Check flight status, make changes early through self-service channels, and expect normal operations with isolated recovery work still in motion.
This Article in a Nutshell
An IT failure at Alaska Airlines’ primary data center around 3:30 p.m. PT on Oct. 23 caused a systemwide ground stop for Alaska and Horizon Air flights. The ground stop was lifted at 11:30 p.m. Thursday, but cascading effects forced the airline to cancel over 400 flights and disrupted nearly 50,000 passengers through Friday and into Saturday. Alaska stressed the outage was not related to cybersecurity and confirmed flight safety was never compromised. The carrier increased guest care staffing, urged use of self-service rebooking, and engaged external technical experts to audit and harden its IT infrastructure as it works to prevent similar single-point failures.
