On Sunday evening, July 20, 2025, Alaska Airlines and its regional affiliate Horizon Air experienced a system-wide IT outage. At approximately 8 p.m. Pacific Time, the airline issued a temporary ground stop a suspension of all departures—for its entire mainline and regional fleet, affecting more than 200 aircraft in total

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the ground stop, which began shortly after 8 p.m. PT and was lifted at around 11 p.m. PT (2 a.m. ET on Monday), although sources vary slightly on the precise timeline. Once lifted, Alaska Airlines announced that operations had resumed, but warned that “residual impacts” would ripple through their schedules as crews and aircraft were repositioned.

Scope and Operational Impact

The grounding was nationwide: it included all mainline flights operated under Alaska Airlines and its affiliate Horizon Air—over 200 aircraft were affected at peak.

The outage lasted approximately three hours, though different outlets reported slightly different start/end times (8–11 p.m. PT; 11 p.m.–2 a.m. ET)

The airline operates a fleet of 238 Boeing 737s and 87 Embraer 175s, plus Horizon Air aircraft

There were no immediate safety concerns—FAA described the grounding as precautionary while IT systems were restored

Passenger Experience

Travellers faced extensive disruption:

• Many were delayed mid-air or prevented from departing.
• At Portland International Airport, passengers were advised to keep receipts for hotels, meals, and rerouted transport for reimbursement.
• Some passengers were rebooked for Monday flights due to overnight delays.
• Reports from passengers described frustration and uncertainty:
  “They just saw a network system error, and they couldn’t figure out any more than we could…maybe try the 1‑800 number…and it was a 2.5 hour wait time.” — Ben DeCarlow, traveller.
• Overall, airline staff were reportedly apologetic, but initially confused about the outage details

Official Response

• Alaska Airlines: Stated 11 p.m. PT, confirming the ground stop had been lifted. They emphasised that full recovery will take time and urged travellers to check flight statuses before heading to airports
• FAA: Confirmed the ground stop and indicated their close coordination with the airline. They noted it was strictly a precautionary fix, dismissing any immediate safety concerns
• The airline advised passengers to stay updated on flight status and retain receipts for any incidental expenses related to the disruption.

Causes and Historical Context

The exact cause of the outage remains undisclosed; both Alaska Airlines and FAA have not revealed the root cause.

Not the first event: In April 2024, Alaska grounded its fleet due to a glitch in its weight-and-balance calculation system.

In January 2024, a much more serious incident occurred when a door plug panel detached mid-flight, prompting grounding and investigations.

In June 2025, Hawaiian Airlines (also part of Alaska Air Group) suffered an IT-related disruption linked to a hack; tech firms Google and Palo Alto Networks warned of the Scattered Spider hacking group targeting aviation.

There have been broader cyber threats in aviation: WestJet experienced a cyber incident in June, and Qantas disclosed a data breach in July—though these did not lead to flight disruptions.

Broader Implications

Operational Fragility – Alaska’s repeat outages highlight the vulnerabilities of airline IT systems, critical for scheduling, crew tracking, flight planning, and communication.

Security Risk and Cyber Threats – The incident adds to a growing pattern of airline IT issues, raising concerns about cybersecurity threats in the industry.

ETAs and Crew Logistics – Even short ground stops trigger long delays downstream, as aircraft and crew must be repositioned and operations rescheduled.

Customer Trust – Repeated disruptions could impact public trust. Alaska Airlines was quick to apologise and set up cost reimbursement—these are important reputational moves.

Industry-wide Response – Airlines like Delta and United have seen much larger-scale cyber events. Alaska’s relatively swift recovery showcases smaller scale risk, but also industry-wide pressure to reinforce fail-safes and backups.

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What Comes Next

• Investigations Underway: Both Alaska Airlines and federal authorities (FAA, cybersecurity specialists) are investigating the outage.
• Compensation and Reimbursement: Passengers affected may be eligible for reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (hotels, meals, snagged bookings).
• Operations Normalising: Alaska is actively resequencing flights, repositioning staff and assets. But ripple effects are expected to last into Monday into the day.
• Security & IT Review: In light of this and previous incidents, Alaska Air Group likely will accelerate IT audits, cybersecurity layering, and failover practices.

Timeline at a Glance

Takeaway

The Alaska Airlines IT outage and ground stop of July 20 – 21, 2025, underscores the critical vulnerability of airline IT ecosystems. While the quick recovery suggests robust incident response, the grounding affected thousands of travellers, and recovery will play out over the next day. Given the history of IT and cybersecurity challenges, Alaska Airlines—and the broader aviation industry—faces increasing pressure to harden its infrastructure and maintain public trust.