Alaska Airlines outage grounded hundreds of flights and affected over 15,000 passengers. Here’s what caused it, how it was fixed, and what travelers should do.
I was sitting in my living room when I got the notification on my phone. It was a headline from The Wall Street Journal: “Alaska Airlines Grounds Flights Due to IT Outage.” I didn’t expect that kind of news on a Sunday night. My first thought was, “Is this serious?” I opened the article and read every word. What I found out was more than just a delay—it was a full system-wide ground stop.
If you’re like me and you follow airline news or travel often, you’ll want to read this post carefully. Whether you’re planning to fly soon or already booked a trip with Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air, this information will help you understand what happened, why it happened, and what you should do next.
This is based on real updates from Alaska Airlines, news reports, and the airline’s own press releases. I’ve also added my own thoughts and observations as someone who keeps up with airline disruptions.
What Really Happened on Sunday Night
It started around 8 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, July 20. Alaska Airlines announced a ground stop. That means no planes were allowed to take off. Flights were completely paused. Horizon Air, their partner airline, was also affected.
When I first saw the headline, I thought it might be weather-related or due to some kind of nationwide system issue. But it was neither. According to Alaska Airlines, the problem was caused by a failure in a critical piece of hardware at their data centers. This hardware was made by a third-party company, and it stopped working without warning.
This hardware is supposed to have backups (multi-redundant systems), but even with backups, the failure was serious enough to stop many of the airline’s key systems from working. These systems are used for flight operations, crew assignments, aircraft routing, and communication.
Because the systems were down, Alaska Airlines had to act fast. They made the decision to ground all flights until things were back in control. That ground stop lasted about three hours, until around 11 p.m. Pacific Time.
Safety Was Not Put at Risk
One important thing Alaska Airlines shared was that the safety of passengers and flights was never at risk. Even though it was a large outage, the planes that were already in the air were not affected. It was only future flights that were held in place.
I think that’s worth pointing out. While it’s stressful to see words like “IT outage” and “ground stop,” it’s good to know that the airline acted carefully and made decisions based on safety.
The flight systems that help keep planes safe in the air—navigation, communication, and control—were still functioning. This means Alaska Airlines was being careful, not reactive, which is what passengers want in a situation like this.
How Bad Was the Outage?
By the time I was reading the update the next morning, Alaska Airlines had already canceled over 150 flights, and that number was still growing. In total, they ended up with around 200 canceled flights.
Let me break that down:
| Time | Flight Disruption Details |
|---|---|
| Sunday Night | About 64 flights were canceled after the outage began. |
| Monday Morning | More flights were delayed or canceled as crews and aircraft were out of place. |
| Monday Afternoon | Total cancellations hit 200, and more than 15,000 passengers were affected. |
Some flights were delayed instead of canceled, but delays still caused problems. Aircraft and crew members were not in the right locations. When a plane is grounded in one city, and it’s supposed to be in another city the next morning, everything gets mixed up. The same goes for pilots and flight attendants.
It’s like a chain reaction. That’s why even after the system was back online, passengers still experienced delays.
This Was Not a Cyber Attack
Let me clear something up because I’ve seen rumors online. Some people thought this was a cybersecurity issue or a hack. But Alaska Airlines has made it clear—this was not a cyber attack. The outage was due to hardware failure only.
There was no data breach. No customer information was stolen. No hacker brought down their system. It was simply a failure of physical equipment inside their data center. The airline is working closely with the vendor (the company that supplied the hardware) to replace the broken equipment.
So, if you’re worried about your personal data or safety, Alaska Airlines has said you don’t need to be. This is one of those rare cases where old-fashioned hardware—not software or cyber threats—was the problem.
How the Outage Affected Travelers
Let’s talk about the people who were supposed to fly. Over 15,600 guests had their flights canceled or delayed between Sunday night and Monday afternoon. That’s a huge number. Some passengers were stuck at the airport. Others had to reschedule for a different day.
I read stories from travelers who missed family events, business meetings, or vacation plans. Some had to spend the night in hotels, while others stayed at the airport waiting for updates. If you were flying that day, chances are you didn’t reach your destination on time.
One thing Alaska Airlines did right was giving people a flexible travel policy. This means if your flight was canceled or delayed, you could rebook your flight without paying extra fees. They also encouraged everyone to check their flight status online before going to the airport.
That’s really important. If you’re planning to fly this week or even next week, make sure you check your flight status first. Even though the main system is back up, the ripple effect of this outage might take a few more days to fix.
Alaska Airlines Response and Updates
Alaska Airlines has been giving regular updates since the outage started. I’ve seen updates posted at 6:30 a.m., 11 a.m., and later in the afternoon on Monday, all Pacific Time. They’ve been sharing how many flights were affected, what the cause was, and what they’re doing next.
They’ve also thanked passengers for being patient. From what I’ve read and seen, most travelers were understanding. Of course, nobody wants their flight canceled, but when it comes to airline safety and system-wide problems, clear updates help people stay calm.
The airline’s teams are now focused on getting planes and crews back in place. They’re also working hard to fix the broken hardware with help from their vendor.
If you’re one of the people whose flight was canceled or changed, you can go to the Alaska Airlines website and use their flight change tool or talk to customer service. You won’t be charged extra if your travel was affected by the outage.
What You Should Do If You’re Flying Soon
If you’ve booked a flight with Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air this week, here are a few things you should do based on everything that’s happened:
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Check your flight status online before leaving for the airport. Don’t assume your flight is still on schedule.
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Arrive early. With some flights being adjusted and aircraft being moved, check-in and boarding might take longer.
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Use the Alaska Airlines mobile app to get real-time updates. It’s faster than waiting in line or calling customer service.
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Be flexible. If your plans allow it, rebook to a later flight if needed.
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Stay calm. These things don’t happen often, but airlines work fast to fix them when they do.
My Thoughts on the Alaska Airlines Outage
This is not the first time I’ve seen an airline face problems with their IT systems. In the past, other airlines like Southwest and Delta have also faced major outages. But I think Alaska Airlines handled this one better than many.
Yes, the delay and flight cancellations were hard for travelers. But the airline gave clear information, stayed active online, and didn’t try to hide the problem. They said what happened, what they were doing, and how long it might take to fix.
What I liked most was that they put safety first. Instead of taking risks, they grounded flights for a few hours, made sure the systems were working again, and only then allowed planes to take off.
It also helped that they didn’t blame others or make excuses. They said the failure came from a third-party hardware issue, and they are working to replace it.
What This Means for the Future
This event is a reminder that even big airlines can face system failures. No airline is perfect. But how an airline responds in a crisis is what matters most.
For Alaska Airlines, this is a chance to review their systems, talk to their hardware vendors, and build even more backup systems. They’ll likely work on making their operations stronger so this doesn’t happen again.
For passengers, this is a reminder to always check flight status before going to the airport, and to keep your travel plans flexible when possible.
To Wrap Up About…Alaska Airlines Outage
The Alaska Airlines outage was a big event that affected many people. From what I’ve read and seen, they responded quickly, clearly, and safely. If you were affected, I hope this post helped you understand what really happened and what to expect next.
Keep checking your flight updates. Use the flexible travel policy if needed. And if you haven’t traveled with Alaska Airlines before, don’t let this one incident scare you off. Every airline faces problems sometimes—how they handle it is what really matters.
If you were part of this outage or know someone who was, feel free to share your experience in the comments or with other travelers. It might help someone else who’s facing a delay or thinking about flying soon.