Alaska Airlines faced an unprecedented disruption on October 23, 2025, when a technical failure in its central IT systems forced the airline to ground all flights across the United States. The outage affected both Alaska Airlines and its regional partner, Horizon Air, creating widespread delays and cancellations that left thousands of passengers stranded at airports.
The airline confirmed that the outage was not the result of a safety issue or cyberattack, but rather a sudden technical glitch in its core operational systems. A spokesperson for Alaska Airlines explained that the failure disrupted flight scheduling, ticketing, and check-in operations, forcing the company to halt all departures until the issue could be resolved.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) quickly issued a ground-stop advisory to control the impact of the outage. The advisory, which remained in effect for roughly an hour, temporarily paused all departures while the airline worked to stabilize its systems. While the response was swift, passengers faced long lines at ticket counters and departure gates, with many reporting confusion over flight statuses and rebooking procedures.
“This was an unexpected disruption,” said the Alaska Airlines spokesperson. “We understand how frustrating this is for our passengers, and our teams are working around the clock to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.” The airline encouraged travelers to check flight statuses online or via its mobile app before heading to the airport and to take advantage of flexible rebooking options offered to those affected.
Passenger reactions varied widely. Some travelers expressed frustration over the lack of real-time updates, while others praised airline staff for remaining calm and assisting as much as possible under the circumstances. “It’s chaotic at the airport, but the employees are doing everything they can,” one traveler told reporters. “I just hope they get the system up and running soon so people can get home.”
This IT outage comes months after a similar disruption earlier this year, which had affected the airline’s third-quarter operations. Aviation experts note that airlines increasingly rely on complex digital systems for scheduling, ticketing, maintenance tracking, and air traffic coordination. While these systems are highly sophisticated, even a minor technical glitch can have a cascading impact, grounding flights and disrupting operations across the country.
“Modern airlines are heavily dependent on integrated IT networks,” said Jane Morgan, an aviation technology consultant. “When a central system fails, it affects nearly every aspect of flight operations—from boarding to dispatch. Alaska Airlines’ situation is a prime example of how sensitive these networks can be.”
Despite the disruption, Alaska Airlines emphasized that safety was never compromised. “Passenger safety is always our top priority,” the spokesperson added. “The decision to ground flights was a precautionary measure to ensure that every flight could depart safely once the system was back online.”
Industry observers say this incident could prompt a broader discussion on redundancy and disaster recovery for airline IT systems. With thousands of travelers impacted, airlines may need to invest more heavily in backup protocols and real-time monitoring to prevent similar disruptions in the future.
Meanwhile, passengers are advised to remain patient and monitor communications from the airline closely. Alaska Airlines has promised continuous updates and has activated additional customer service lines to handle inquiries. Flexible rebooking policies allow affected travelers to adjust their itineraries without additional charges, providing some relief amid the widespread disruption.
By the evening of October 23, Alaska Airlines began gradually resuming operations, though some flights were still delayed by hours. Airport staff and airline crews are working through the backlog, and passengers are advised to check the status of their flights before traveling to the airport.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of how dependent modern aviation has become on digital infrastructure and the potential ripple effects when systems fail. For Alaska Airlines, the priority remains to restore confidence among passengers while preventing similar issues in the future.