Thousands of Americans hoping to take to the air were stranded on the ground Thursday night as Alaska Airlines suffered an information technology outage that prevented any of its planes from taking off.
“A temporary ground stop is in effect,” the airline announced on social media at 4:20 p.m. “We apologize for the inconvenience. If you are planning to fly this evening, please check the status of your flight before heading to the airport.”
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where the carrier is based, reported 82 delays and 17 cancellations for Alaska Airlines flights, according to Flight Aware. Meanwhile, Los Angeles International Airport reported eight Alaska Airlines flight delays and one cancellation.
The outage marks the second time in recent months that IT problems have prevented Alaska Airlines from flying. The airline suspended all flights for a three-hour period in July after a similar outage.
The outage remained in effect as of 7 p.m., and the airline said it was actively working to restore service. He did not provide any details about what caused the technical problems.
Customers also reported problems accessing the airline's website and app.
According to its website, the airline flies to 40 destinations around the world, including 37 states and 12 countries.
