logo
Alaska Airlines Resumes Flights After 'IT Outage'

Alaska Airlines Resumes Flights After 'IT Outage'

Alaska Airlines said Monday it had resumed operations after hours earlier requesting its fleet be grounded because of an "IT outage."
The airline apologized for the disruption, and urged travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport -- adding it "will take some time to get our overall operations back to normal".
The airline earlier told AFP it "experienced an IT outage that's impacting our operations" and that it had "requested a temporary, system-wide ground stop for Alaska and Horizon Air flights until the issue is resolved."
Before the grounding was lifted, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) status page showed all destinations affected by the halt of Alaska's mainline aircraft.
"We apologize for the inconvenience," Alaska Airlines said in a statement.
"As we reposition our aircraft and crews, there will most likely be residual impacts to our flights."
In a separate statement posted on X, the airline said it has "resolved its earlier IT outage", without giving details.
The grounding drew a backlash from frustrated passengers.
"This is brutal. We've been sitting at the airport for two hours," wrote an X user named Caleb Heimlich in one of such replies.
"It's 10:20 pm, people are tired, hungry, etc. This is not okay," said another.
Alaska last year also experienced an IT outage that caused significant disruption to its operations, including delayed flights.
At the time, multiple users complained they were facing difficulties accessing its app and website.
The airline's latest outage comes a day after Microsoft warned of "active attacks" targeting server software used by businesses to share internal documents and urged security updates.
Alaska Airlines did not immediately respond to AFP's request to clarify whether the outage was linked to the Microsoft issue.
The incident also comes more than a year after a door plug section of a newly delivered Boeing 737 Max 9 blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight between Portland, Oregon and Ontario, California in January last year.
The 171 passengers and six crew members survived the rapid decompression, but the FAA later grounded many Boeing 737-9 aircraft operated by US airlines.
Last month, US investigators said Boeing's failure to provide adequate training to manufacturing staff was a driving factor in the near-catastrophic Alaska Airlines mid-flight blowout.
Alaska Air Group has a fleet of 325 aircraft, comprising 238 Boeing 737 planes and 87 Embraer 175 aircraft, according to its website.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Alaska Airlines Resumes Flights After 'IT Outage'
Alaska Airlines Resumes Flights After 'IT Outage'

Int'l Business Times

timea day ago

  • Int'l Business Times

Alaska Airlines Resumes Flights After 'IT Outage'

Alaska Airlines said Monday it had resumed operations after hours earlier requesting its fleet be grounded because of an "IT outage." The airline apologized for the disruption, and urged travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport -- adding it "will take some time to get our overall operations back to normal". The airline earlier told AFP it "experienced an IT outage that's impacting our operations" and that it had "requested a temporary, system-wide ground stop for Alaska and Horizon Air flights until the issue is resolved." Before the grounding was lifted, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) status page showed all destinations affected by the halt of Alaska's mainline aircraft. "We apologize for the inconvenience," Alaska Airlines said in a statement. "As we reposition our aircraft and crews, there will most likely be residual impacts to our flights." In a separate statement posted on X, the airline said it has "resolved its earlier IT outage", without giving details. The grounding drew a backlash from frustrated passengers. "This is brutal. We've been sitting at the airport for two hours," wrote an X user named Caleb Heimlich in one of such replies. "It's 10:20 pm, people are tired, hungry, etc. This is not okay," said another. Alaska last year also experienced an IT outage that caused significant disruption to its operations, including delayed flights. At the time, multiple users complained they were facing difficulties accessing its app and website. The airline's latest outage comes a day after Microsoft warned of "active attacks" targeting server software used by businesses to share internal documents and urged security updates. Alaska Airlines did not immediately respond to AFP's request to clarify whether the outage was linked to the Microsoft issue. The incident also comes more than a year after a door plug section of a newly delivered Boeing 737 Max 9 blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight between Portland, Oregon and Ontario, California in January last year. The 171 passengers and six crew members survived the rapid decompression, but the FAA later grounded many Boeing 737-9 aircraft operated by US airlines. Last month, US investigators said Boeing's failure to provide adequate training to manufacturing staff was a driving factor in the near-catastrophic Alaska Airlines mid-flight blowout. Alaska Air Group has a fleet of 325 aircraft, comprising 238 Boeing 737 planes and 87 Embraer 175 aircraft, according to its website.

Lesotho's Jockeys Saddle Up For Mountain Horse Racing
Lesotho's Jockeys Saddle Up For Mountain Horse Racing

Int'l Business Times

time2 days ago

  • Int'l Business Times

Lesotho's Jockeys Saddle Up For Mountain Horse Racing

Swathed in vibrant woollen blankets against the biting winter chill, jockeys -- some no more than boys -- thundered down a dusty track carved between the undulating hills of the tiny kingdom of Lesotho. Spectators lining the ridges cheered on the riders as their horses sprinted down one of Africa's highest tracks, more than 2,200 metres (7,200 feet) above sea level. Horse racing in Lesotho, a country ringed by South Africa, is not just a sport, it is a cultural carnival where wagers are the real blood sport. This weekend's edition in the village of Semonkong in central Lesotho carried extra weight; it was the premium fixture of the season and timed to mark King Letsie III's birthday. Preparations started before the crowd arrived, with the horses, also wrapped in blankets and balaclavas to keep warm, walked to the arena in song and dance, then brushed and fitted with weather-worn saddles for their races. For many jockeys the track is a rare escape. The country of around 2.3 million people ranks among the world's poorest, its rich mineral wealth overshadowed by sky-high youth unemployment and a troubling rate of suicide. The textile-dependent economy faces further gloom, with fresh uncertainty following tariffs announced by the administration of US President Donald Trump, who earlier this year mocked Lesotho as a place "nobody has ever heard of". The unspoken rule is that you have to forget all your problems or you will fall, jockey Tsaenh Masosa told AFP. "You have to be focused," said the 21-year-old hotel employee, layered in white, pink and blue jackets. Races stretch between 800 and 1,200 metres across a rugged mountain terrain that tests both the rider and horse. Winners pocket up to 1,500 loti ($85) per race, a significant payday in Lesotho, where more than 36 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day, according to the World Bank. At the trackside, most bets are simple showdowns -- punters backing one horse to outrun another, rather than the overall race winner. There are no tickets or betting slips, just fistfuls of cash, tense stares and quick payouts as money changes hands the moment one horse edges out another at the finish line. Horses first arrived in Lesotho with European settlers in the 19th century, and over generations, crossbreeding gave rise to the sturdy Basotho pony -- mid-sized, tough and known for its endurance. These ponies, along with cross-breeds and thoroughbreds from neighbouring South Africa, now make up the racing stock. But beyond the track, horses remain part of daily life. In the mountains, they are still used to herd sheep and goats, or to reach remote villages where no roads go. That deep connection runs through the culture. "All the people from Semonkong prefer horse racing to football," said 39-year-old maintenance worker Andreas Motlatsi Mojaje. On the dusty oval, Masosa is still chasing his first win. He has raced seven times, coming closest with a second-place finish, but that has not dulled his hunger. "I like fast horses, it makes me enjoy," he said with a smile. Jockeys competed in seven races in the season's premium fixture AFP The race is timed to mark King Letsie III's birthday AFP The horses are wrapped in blankets and balaclavas to keep warm ahead of the races AFP The horse track in Lesotho is one of the highest in Africa AFP Betting is an integral part of the races AFP

Vietnam: Tourist boat capsizes, killing at least 37 – DW – 07/19/2025
Vietnam: Tourist boat capsizes, killing at least 37 – DW – 07/19/2025

DW

time2 days ago

  • DW

Vietnam: Tourist boat capsizes, killing at least 37 – DW – 07/19/2025

A sudden storm in northern Vietnam's famous Ha Long Bay tipped the vessel. Children were among the victims. A tourist boat in Vietnam capsized on Saturday, leaving at least 37 people dead and several others missing. The vessel was carrying 53 people, when it capsized while doing a tour of northern Vietnam's famous Ha Long Bay. Most of the passengers were tourists from the capital Hanoi, local media said. Border guards had recovered 34 bodies on Saturday and another three crew members' bodies were recovered by Sunday morning. Efforts were still on to find the missing people. "I took a deep breath, swam through a gap, dived then swam up, I even shouted for help, then I was pulled up by a boat with soldiers on," a rescued 10-year-old boy told state media outlet VietnamNet. Authorities are trying to determine the cause of the accident and see if there were any safety violations. Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which spans over 1,500 square kilometers (579 square miles). It is filled with nearly 2,000 islands and islets and is considered one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations, attracting millions of visitors each year. The vessel, dubbed Wonder Sea, was carrying 48 tourists and five crew members at the time of the capsizing, including families with children, VNExpress news outlet reported. Sudden stormy weather landed in Ha Long Bay, with heavy rain and strong winds that appear to have caused the Wonder Sea to overturn. There were "hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning," Ha Long Bay office worker Tran Trong Hung told the French AFP news agency. Rescuers recovered 37 bodies on site. Some 11 people were rescued, while eight are still missing. Among those confirmed dead were eight children, VNExpress reported. The news outlet said a 14-year-old boy was among the survivors. He was rescued four hours after being trapped in the overturned hull. Authorities would "investigate and clarify the cause of the incident and strictly handle violations," a statement on the government website said. Rescue efforts were set to continue into the night to find the missing.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store