‍SEATTLE – Seattle-based Alaska Airlines (AS) experienced a temporary ground stop following an IT outage affecting operations in the afternoon of October 23, 2025.

The outage led to the cancellation of over 200 flights and delays to hundreds more. The airline requested the FAA for the ground stop and subsequently made the following statement:

"Alaska Airlines is experiencing an IT outage affecting operations. A temporary ground stop is in place. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you're scheduled to fly tonight, please check your flight status before heading to the airport."

The IT issue and ground stop affected all AS mainline flights from all bases and stations, as well as those operated by Horizon Air (QX).

Some SkyWest (OO)-operated flights are departing at this time, while flights arriving at Seattle (SEA) are beginning to pile up on taxiways waiting for gate assignments. Mainline departures have yet to resume.

At the time of publishing this post, the latest update came at 11:21 PM EST:

"We are still experiencing an IT outage affecting our operations that has resulted in cancellations of some of our flights this evening and into tomorrow. We apologize for the inconvenience and ask that you check your flight status before heading to the airport."

Third Quarter in Review

On the same evening of the IT outage, Alaska Air Group published its third quarter financial report, delivering a modest but stable third quarter as it continues integrating Hawaiian Airlines (H) into its operations. Since Hawaiian’s results are now included from September 18, 2024 onward, the company provided pro forma comparisons to give a clearer year-over-year view.

The group reported a GAAP pretax margin of 2.9% and net income of $0.62 per share, while adjusted earnings reached $1.05 per share, translating to a stronger adjusted pretax margin of 4.6%.

Operationally, capacity declined slightly by 0.7%, performing better than forecast, while revenue per available seat mile (RASM) rose 1.4%, also ahead of expectations. Costs excluding fuel (CASMex) climbed 8.6%, in line with prior guidance as integration expenses and labor costs weighed on margins.

Overall, Alaska Air Group met or exceeded most of its financial targets for the quarter, demonstrating resilience through network optimization and disciplined revenue performance despite ongoing merger-related headwinds.