Alaska Airlines outage flights: Alaska Airlines outage: How the technology issue impacted flights and earnings
Alaska Airlines Shares Drop Following Widespread IT Outage
The airline’s shares fell 6.14% on Friday following the outage. “We are working to get our operations back on track as quickly and safely as possible,” the airline said, warning that additional flight disruptions were still possible, according to Reuters.
Based on advice from the Federal Aviation Administration, the airline requested a temporary grounding on Thursday evening, affecting its subsidiary Horizon Air, Reuters reported. According to the report, the suspension was lifted at 23:30 local time (06:30 GMT) on Friday.
ALSO READ: Neutrogena makeup remover recalled after bacteria found that can cause serious infections – here’s how to check if you’re at risk
Flight Cancellations Affect Alaska and Horizon Air Customers
In a post on social media X (formerly Twitter), the airline said it canceled more than 360 Alaska and Horizon flights from Thursday to Friday, Reuters reports.
Airline Confirms System Outage Was Not a Cyber Attack
The company emphasized that, according to the report, the outage was caused by a system outage, not a cyber attack. However, the airline did not disclose the exact reason for the outage, according to Reuters. Alaska Airlines also addressed customer concerns on social media by answering questions about booking glitches on its website and issues with its app. “Unfortunately, we are experiencing an error in our system, but our IT team is working to resolve this as quickly as possible,” the company said, as quoted by Reuters. ALSO READ: Social Security 2026 COLA up 2.8% – find out who qualifies and when SSI benefits increase
Impact on Alaska Airlines’ Fourth Quarter Earnings
Alaska Air Group has not yet provided an estimate of the financial impact of the outage on its fourth-quarter results, Reuters reported.
The cut came as Alaska Airlines projected fourth-quarter profits well below analysts’ expectations due to high fuel costs and operational difficulties, according to the report. The airline also delayed its earnings forecast, originally scheduled for Oct. 24, following Thursday’s outage, according to a Reuters report.
Past IT Outages and Operational Challenges at Alaska Airlines
This isn’t the first time Alaska has encountered IT-related disruptions. In July, the carrier grounded all its flights for about three hours due to an IT outage that cut its earnings per share by about 10 cents in the third quarter, according to a Reuters report.
FAQ
What caused Alaska Airlines flight cancellations?
According to a Reuters report, a technology system outage halted flights at all airports.
How many Alaska Airlines flights were cancelled?
According to a Reuters report, over 360 flights were cancelled.
