Official FAA announcements or credible news media reports

FAA Briefly Grounds All Alaska Airlines Flights Nationwide Due to Tech Issue

Apr 17, 2024, 03:45 PM

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a nationwide ground stop for all Alaska Airlines flights on Wednesday morning due to a technical issue related to a system upgrade. The issue was specifically linked to the system that calculates weight and balance for the airline's fleet. Alaska Airlines requested the FAA to halt all mainline departures across the country to address the problem. The ground stop, which affected Alaska Airlines and Horizon flights, was lifted after approximately one hour. Despite the brief duration, the airline advised passengers to expect residual delays throughout the day as flights resumed. Notably, SkyWest, which provides regional service for Alaska Airlines, was excluded from the ground stop.