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What caused disruptions in Alaska Airlines ops, company finally explains
A banner on the Alaska airline’s website said that the disruptions are due to systemwide IT issue
Alaska Airlines has requested a ground stop for all its mainline aircraft due to disruptions in system-wide IT issues, which was also confirmed by a banner displayed on the website. On its website, Alaska Airlines said it was experiencing issues with its IT systems. “We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to resolve the issues,” it said. The company also requested for ground stops of all Horizon Air flights, the regional subsidiary operating Alaska Airlines flights.
According to its website, Alaska Air Group operates a fleet of 238 Boeing 737 aircraft and 87 Embraer 175 regional jets, reported Reuters. In June, the Hawaiian Airlines, owned by Alaska Air Group, reported a cyberattack that disrupted some of its IT systems. The company stated it was still assessing the financial impact of the incident.
The Seattle-based airline said there would be residual impacts to its operations throughout the evening, without providing more details.
Also read: Alaska Airlines grounds all flights: How many planes are grounded, which airports are hit now?
As per FAA, the airports showing ground stop or delay programs include, San Francisco International Airport, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Orlando International Airport and others.
News of Alaska's IT issues emerges as tech giants Google and Palo Alto Networks sound the alarm about the "Scattered Spider" hacking group's growing focus on the aviation industry.
In June, Canada's WestJet Airlines was struck due to an unspecified cyber incident, while Australia's Qantas experienced a data breach in July where a cyber hacker accessed the personal information of millions of customers.
(With input from Reuters)
