🧵 Alaska Airlines Flags Lingering Flight Delays After Major IT Hardware Failure

 

Seattle, July 21, 2025 – Alaska Airlines (and its Horizon Air subsidiary) cautioned passengers today that flight disruptions will continue to ripple through its network following a significant IT hardware failure that forced a system-wide grounding late Sunday night.

A malfunction in a third-party–supplied, multi-redundant data‑center component — not related to cyber‑attacks or software issues — brought all Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air flights to a standstill for nearly three hours beginning around 8 p.m. PT, according to the carrier’s official statement.

⚠️ Immediate and Ongoing Impact

• Ground stop lifted by approximately 11 p.m. PT Sunday, but flight schedules remain disrupted as aircraft and crews are repositioned.

• On Monday morning, 7% of Alaska’s scheduled flights were canceled, with 12% delayed—a total of roughly 150+ cancellations across two days.

• Major hubs, including Seattle, San Francisco, and Oakland, saw multiple cancellations and delays, prompting a reminder for travelers to check flight status before departing.

🔍 What Caused It—and What’s Next?

• Failure in redundant hardware, impacting systems essential for routing, scheduling, baggage handling, crew management, and gate allocation.

• Alaska Airlines confirmed this was not a cybersecurity breach and has begun restoring services in close coordination with the hardware vendor.

• Residual disruptions expected over the coming days as the carrier repositions planes and staff and replaces the defective component.

📣 How You Should Prepare

1. Double‑check flight status via airline or third‑party apps before heading to the airport.

2. Anticipate longer wait times at check‑in counters and baggage zones.

3. Plan extra layover time, especially if you're connecting.

4. Stay informed: Alaska Airlines is actively updating passengers via email, SMS, and its website.

✈️ Broader Context

This incident highlights a growing vulnerability in aviation: airlines rely heavily on outsourced, centralized IT infrastructure—where single failures can ripple out to impact hundreds of flights. Industry analysts point to similar past events:

• Delta Air Lines’ 2024 grounding following a faulty CrowdStrike software update.

• The FAA’s 2023 nationwide NOTAM outage, which also grounded U.S. flights for several hours.

📊 Alaska Air’s Outlook

Despite the hit to operations, Alaska Air’s stock showed only modest impact in early trading—unlike more severe disruptions seen during previous major outages. With the carrier approaching earnings season, analysts will be watching closely for any escalation in cost associated with this disruption.

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Bottom Line: Alaska Airlines has resumed operations but warns that delays and cancellations will persist as it works to fully restore its systems and schedules. Travelers should remain proactive in checking flight statuses and building extra buffer time into their plans.