Alaska Airlines Experiences Ground Stop, Causing Delays at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

A ground stop for all Alaska Airlines flights on Wednesday morning led to numerous delays at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle, Washington.

The Seattle-based airline, Alaska Airlines, halted all its flights nationwide for an hour on Wednesday morning, with delays expected to persist throughout the day. The decision for the ground stop, affecting both Alaska Airlines and its affiliate Horizon Air, stemmed from a system upgrade issue related to weight and balance calculations.

The ground stop was in place from approximately 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Pacific time, after which flights gradually resumed. Passengers were advised to check their flight statuses prior to their airport arrival.

Alaska Airlines issued a statement saying, ‘This morning we experienced an issue while performing an upgrade to the system that calculates our weight and balance. Out of an abundance of caution, we requested a ground stop for all Alaska and Horizon flights, which was instituted at approximately 7:30 a.m. PT. The issue was mitigated and the ground stop for Alaska and Horizon flights expired at 8:30 a.m. PT. We have begun releasing flights. Residual delays are expected throughout the day. We apologize for the inconvenience and encourage guests to check the status of their flights on the airline’s website or the Alaska App before heading to the airport.’

The majority of the delays occurred at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where a total of 136 flight delays and one cancelation were reported as of 10:10 a.m. Alaska Airlines accounted for 99 of the delays, while Horizon Air had 19.

Simultaneously, Senate committees held dual hearings on Wednesday concerning Boeing, which has faced heightened scrutiny following a safety incident involving an Alaska Airlines flight in January, where a door-plug panel detached from a 737 Max jetliner.