U.S. carrier Alaska Airlines suffered a major IT breakdown in late October, forcing a ground stop across its network and triggering flight cancellations by the hundreds. The airline cited a data-centre failure that impacted key operational systems, grounding aircraft and leaving thousands of passengers in limbo. The incident marks yet another serious tech disruption for the airline after earlier outages in the year.
In its statement, Alaska Airlines acknowledged the outage and confirmed it was not due to a cyber-attack. The airline said it would bring in external tech experts to examine and overhaul its IT systems.
How Travel Was Affected
The technology failure forced more than 400 flights to be cancelled, affecting over 49,000 travellers. The airline said operations had resumed but that delays and repositioning of crews and planes would continue. The failures affected scheduling, check-in and app/website access, creating long queues at airports and frustration among passengers.
In a new twist, the carrier’s website and mobile app went offline on Wednesday, this time linked to a global cloud-computing outage on Microsoft’s Azure platform. This second disruption further shook confidence in the airline’s digital reliability.
JetBlue Also Struggles with IT Glitches
Meanwhile, JetBlue Airways flagged an IT issue at Orlando International Airport. While less severe than Alaska’s system-wide halt, the disruption still caused longer check-in times and passenger delays. The incident highlights how vulnerable airline operations have become to technology breakdowns—even when the root cause lies outside the carrier itself.
The Business and Financial Fallout
The disruptions hit more than travel plans. Alaska Airlines’ stock dropped by about 2.2% after reports of the website/app outage surfaced. The broader impact of cancelled flights and delayed travellers remains unclear, but the airline forecast a weaker profit outlook and stressed that the level of performance was unacceptable. JetBlue’s stock also suffered amid its broader financial challenges and now-public operational glitches.
Why This Matters Now
The rapid rise of digital tools in aviation—for booking, check-in, crew scheduling and flight-tracking—means that any tech failure can quickly snowball into large operational disruption. Airlines such as Alaska and JetBlue, which market themselves as customer-centric, risk reputational damage when their digital systems falter. With billions of dollars at stake and millions of travellers relying on seamless service, system robustness is no longer optional.
Looking Ahead: Fixing the Infrastructure
Both carriers say they are taking urgent steps to upgrade their tech foundations. Alaska is engaging outside experts to audit its entire infrastructure. JetBlue must manage internal cost pressures while proving its IT systems can keep up with growing passenger demand. Ahead of the upcoming travel-peak seasons, the clock is ticking.
Expect airlines to invest more heavily in backup systems, cloud resiliency, real-time operational monitoring and crisis-response teams. Travellers will continue to watch how quickly the carriers recover—and whether such outages become rarer.
What Travellers Should Know
If you are flying with either carrier soon:
- Check your flight status online before you head to the airport.
- Be prepared for delays or changes in check-in procedures if tech systems are down.
- Consider travel insurance or flexible booking options in case disruptions arise.
- Use airport kiosks or staffed desks if apps or websites are inaccessible.
Industry Implications
The recent events at Alaska Airlines and JetBlue underscore how airlines now run on technology and how fragile that reliance can be. A system failure can ripple through scheduling, security protocols, ground operations and customer service—turning a technical glitch into a full-scale travel crisis.
As air travel rebounds and demand rises, carriers must ensure their digital tools are not just functional but resilient. Otherwise, even a relatively small failure could trigger major cancellations or delays—and erode passenger trust in an industry built on reliability.
The airline industry will be watching how these carriers respond. For travellers, the message is clear: technology issues are no longer behind-the-scenes—they can hit your trip at the airport.
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