Alaska Airlines Grounds Entire Fleet Due to Technical System Outage

On Sunday night, Alaska Airlines made the decision to temporarily ground its entire fleet of planes. Passengers who were about to travel were warned to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.

This drastic measure was taken due to an unspecified technical system outage that has significantly impacted the airline’s operations. The company has also warned of ongoing residual actions that will affect both Alaska and Horizon Air flights.

In a statement on their website, Alaska Airlines apologized for the inconvenience and assured customers that they are working to resolve the issue. The company also advised travelers to check the status of their flights before leaving for the airport.

According to a report from the New York Times, the airline requested an order to ground over 200 aircraft at around 11 p. m. Eastern time on Sunday. Three hours later, the ground stop was lifted.

Alaska Airlines provided an update on the situation, stating that the IT outage occurred at 8 p. m. Pacific time and resulted in a temporary, system-wide ground stop. They also mentioned that as they reposition their aircraft and crews, there may be residual impacts on flights. It will take some time for their operations to return to normal.

The Alaska Air Group website states that the airline’s fleet includes 238 Boeing 737 aircraft and 87 Embraer 175 aircraft. This is not the first time that Alaska Airlines has grounded its entire fleet. In April 2024, they did the same due to issues with the system that calculates the weight and balance of their aircraft.

This grounding comes after a terrifying incident in January 2024 where a door plug panel blew out at 16,000 feet. The flight had just departed from Portland, Oregon with 171 passengers on board. The sudden loss of pressure forced an emergency landing and resulted in seven passengers being injured. The plug panel was later found in a backyard near Portland.

In another incident, Boeing and Alaska Airlines settled a $1 billion lawsuit out of court earlier this month. The lawsuit was related to a malfunctioning door plug panel that caused the emergency landing in 2024.

Alaska Airlines has asked for patience from its customers as they work to resolve the technical system outage and get their operations back to normal. They have not provided an estimated timeline for when this issue will be fully resolved. Passengers are advised to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport and to stay updated on any further developments.