Alaska Airlines working to 'normalize operations' after ground stop lifted
Alaska Airlines said Friday it is still working to "normalize operations" a day after a significant IT outage resulted in a system-wide, hourslong ground stop of flights for Alaska and Horizon.
More than 400 flights have been canceled on Alaska and Horizon Air as of 4 p.m. ET Friday, according to the airline. More than 49,000 passengers have been impacted, it said.
Alaska continued to urge travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport. It said it has increased staffing for guest services but noted "wait times have been frustratingly long."
"We know our guests put their trust in us when they choose to fly with Alaska, and this level of performance is not acceptable," the airline said in a statement on Friday. "And while safety is our most critical responsibility, the reliability of our operations is an essential expectation of our guests."
The airline grounded flights nationwide on Thursday after it said it was experiencing an "IT outage affecting operations." The issue was a failure in its primary data center and not a cyberattack or related to any other event, Alaska said.
As the ground stop stretched on, the airline said it was canceling Alaska Airlines flights as well as flights on Horizon Air, a regional airline owned by the airline. Hawaiian Airlines flights were not affected.
The Federal Aviation Administration first issued a ground stop about 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday after a request by the airline.
The ground stop was lifted at 2:30 a.m. ET on Friday.
"We are deeply sorry for the disruptions this event has caused for so many of our valued guests," Alaska said. "We're working to get everyone to their destinations as quickly as we can."
This marks the second IT outage affecting the airline this year.
In July, an IT outage halted flights for about three hours.
The airline said that after July's IT outage, it worked to strengthen its systems but acknowledged the latest failure shows more work is needed. Alaska said it's bringing in outside technical experts to assess its IT infrastructure.
The airline postponed its quarterly earnings call scheduled for Friday.
Alaska Airlines has flights to most of the U.S. and 12 countries and operates about 1,500 flights every day.
ABC News' Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.
