A major technology outage has thrown Alaska Airlines into disarray, forcing the carrier to ground all its flights on Thursday, October 23, 2025. The airline announced the "temporary ground stop" in a statement posted on the social platform X, urging passengers to check their flight status before heading to airports. The disruption, which affects both Alaska Airlines and its subsidiary Horizon Air, has left travelers stranded and sparked frustration across the country.

"We apologize for the inconvenience," Alaska Airlines stated in its post, but the airline has yet to provide detailed information about the cause or expected duration of the outage. Attempts to reach the company for further comment went unanswered, leaving passengers and industry watchers speculating about the scale of the issue. Meanwhile, Hawaiian Airlines, acquired by Alaska Air Group in 2024, confirmed that its flights remain unaffected and are operating on schedule.

This is not the first time Alaska Airlines has faced such a disruption. In July 2025, the airline grounded its entire fleet for approximately three hours due to a critical hardware failure at a data center. That incident highlighted vulnerabilities in the airline’s technological infrastructure, and Thursday’s outage raises fresh concerns about the reliability of systems critical to flight operations. The recurrence of such issues underscores a broader challenge within the aviation industry, where computer glitches have periodically disrupted air travel, though most incidents are resolved relatively quickly.

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The grounding has caused significant inconvenience for passengers, many of whom took to social media to express their frustration over delayed or canceled flights. Airports served by Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, particularly hubs like Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, are likely experiencing crowded terminals and long customer service lines as travelers scramble to rebook or seek updates. The lack of clarity from the airline about when normal operations will resume has only added to the uncertainty.

Industry experts note that technology outages in aviation can stem from various causes, including software glitches, server failures, or cybersecurity issues. While Alaska Airlines has not disclosed whether the current outage involves a security breach, the incident comes at a time when airlines worldwide are grappling with the increasing complexity of their digital systems. Such disruptions can have cascading effects, impacting not only passengers but also cargo operations, crew scheduling, and maintenance workflows.

As Alaska Airlines works to resolve the outage, passengers are left in limbo, with the airline advising them to monitor flight statuses closely. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the aviation industry’s dependence on robust technological infrastructure and the far-reaching consequences when those systems fail. For now, travelers are left hoping for a swift resolution to get back in the air.

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