✈️ Alaska Airlines Cancels 7% of Monday Flights After IT Outage Spurs Ground Stop
What Happened:
On Sunday evening, July 20, Alaska Airlines experienced a critical hardware failure at one of its data centers. The malfunction prompted a system-wide ground stop around 8 p.m. PT, halting all flights for approximately three hours. Operations resumed by 11 p.m. PT, but disruptions extended into Monday. (The Sun, Reuters)
Scale of the Impact:
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Over 150 flights canceled since Sunday evening.
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64 flights scrapped on Monday alone, representing about 7% of Alaska Airlines’ schedule. (Reuters, U.S. News Money)
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Additional delays affecting hundreds of flights, as aircraft and crews are repositioned. (Reuters)
What the Airline Says:
Alaska Airlines emphasized that the outage was a hardware issue—not a cybersecurity breach—and that flight safety was never compromised. The airline is collaborating with the hardware vendor to replace the faulty component and warned travelers to expect residual delays and cancellations. (AP News)
Traveler Experience:
At the Seattle–Tacoma hub and other airports, passengers reported being stranded on tarmacs, long rebooking lines, and limited onboard communication. Many were offered meal vouchers and advised to hold onto lodging receipts. (The Sun)
Industry Context:
This marks the second major ground stop for Alaska Airlines in just over a year—the previous disruption in April 2024 was due to a weight-and-balance system glitch. The incident underscores ongoing concerns about airlines’ dependence on resilient IT infrastructure—a challenge seen across the industry, including Delta and Southwest. (Barron's, Wikipedia)
Repercussions & Advice for Travelers:
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Check your flight status before heading to the airport.
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Expect additional delays or cancellations, as crews are relocated across the network.
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Retain meal and lodging receipts if disrupted—airlines often reimburse reasonable expenses.
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Plan for alternate arrangements, especially for travel dependent on tight connections or deadlines.
✉️ Summary
A Sunday-night IT hardware failure triggered a three-hour ground stop for Alaska and Horizon Air fleets. While operations have resumed, over 150 canceled flights and ongoing delays are expected. Safety wasn’t affected, but logistics remain challenging as the airline works to restore full service.
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