A massive Alaska Airlines IT outage on Thursday, October 23, 2025, led to widespread flight disruptions across the United States, grounding all Alaska Airlines flights for several hours. The sudden Alaska Airlines outage left thousands of passengers stranded and caused significant delays at major airports, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Portland, and Los Angeles.
According to CNN, the issue stemmed from a critical system malfunction within the airline’s internal network, which affected key operational tools used to manage flight scheduling, boarding, and real-time Alaska Airlines flight status updates. The company confirmed the Alaska Airlines ground stop was implemented shortly after 7 a.m. Pacific Time as engineers worked to diagnose and resolve the outage.
Widespread Impact Across the U.S.
By mid-morning, the Alaska outage had grounded more than 200 flights and delayed hundreds more, according to FlightAware data. Passengers reported long lines and confusion at ticket counters, with many unable to access mobile boarding passes or check their Alaska Airlines flight status online. The company’s website and app experienced intermittent downtime, compounding the chaos.
Travelers took to social media to express frustration as airport monitors displayed repeated “Delayed” notifications. Several customers said they were stuck on planes awaiting takeoff for hours before being asked to deplane due to the Alaska Airlines IT outage.
One traveler at Sea-Tac told CNN, “We were boarded and ready to go when the pilot came on and said there was an Alaska Airlines outage and all flights were being held. No one really knew what was happening.”
Alaska Air Responds to the Crisis
In a statement, Alaska Air said, “We are experiencing a significant IT issue that has impacted our ability to operate flights safely and efficiently. Our teams are working around the clock to restore systems and resume normal operations as quickly as possible.”
By early afternoon, Alaska Airlines reported that its technology teams had made progress in restoring critical systems. Limited flight operations began resuming regionally, but residual delays and cancellations were expected throughout the day.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed it had issued a temporary Alaska Airlines ground stop at the airline’s request to prevent additional operational disruptions. Once the Alaska IT outage was partially resolved, the FAA lifted the ground stop, but flight schedules remained significantly affected.
Root Cause Under Investigation
While Alaska Airlines has not disclosed the specific cause of the Alaska outage, sources familiar with the investigation suggested that a software update gone wrong may have triggered the cascading system failure. Cybersecurity officials have also been notified as a precaution, though no evidence of hacking has been found at this time.
Industry analysts note that airline IT systems are highly complex, integrating everything from booking and baggage handling to crew management and weather data. A single point of failure can have nationwide consequences. “This Alaska Airlines IT outage underscores how dependent airlines have become on technology,” said an aviation expert quoted by CNN. “It’s not just an inconvenience; it’s a major operational vulnerability.”
Passengers Offered Waivers and Compensation
Alaska Air announced it would offer travel waivers to customers affected by the Alaska Airlines outage, allowing passengers to rebook flights without fees. The company also promised to reimburse reasonable hotel and meal expenses for those stranded overnight.
For passengers currently booked on Alaska Airlines flights, the carrier advised checking the Alaska Airlines flight status page frequently for real-time updates. However, customers should expect lingering disruptions over the next 24 hours as flight crews and aircraft are repositioned.
Broader Industry Implications
This latest Alaska Airlines IT outage follows similar incidents at major U.S. carriers in recent years, including Southwest Airlines’ system crash in 2023 and Delta’s network failure in 2024. These repeated outages have renewed calls for airlines to modernize their IT infrastructure and implement stronger backup systems.
While Alaska Airlines is known for its strong customer service record, analysts warn that repeated technology failures could damage its reputation if not swiftly addressed. The airline has pledged a full internal review to prevent another Alaska IT outage in the future.
Looking Ahead
As of Thursday evening, most Alaska Airlines flights were gradually resuming, though the ripple effect of cancellations is expected to last into Friday. Passengers are advised to verify flight details before heading to the airport.
The Alaska Airlines outage serves as a stark reminder of the growing intersection between technology and travel reliability. With airlines increasingly relying on digital systems, maintaining robust IT resilience will be essential to ensure passenger confidence and operational stability.
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