Alaska Airlines ground stop lifted but flight delays expected all day
SEATC, Wash. - The FAA grounded all Alaska Airlines flights across the country Wednesday morning for an hour, and delays were expected to continue throughout the day.
The Seattle-based airline said in a statement it requested a ground stop for all Alaska and Horizon air flights out of an abundance of caution after it "experienced an issue while performing an upgrade to the system that calculates our weight and balance."
The ground stop lasted from about 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Pacific time, when flights began resuming.
The airline said it expected residual delays throughout the day and recommended that travelers check their flight status before heading to the airport.
"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 alaskaair.com or the Alaska App prior to heading to the airport."
The majority of the delays were at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
As of 10:10 a.m., Seattle-Tacoma International Airport reported a total of 136 flight delays and one cancelation. Of those, 99 are Alaska Airlines flights and 19 are Horizon Air flights.
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The grounding came as Senate committees held dual hearings Wednesday examining allegations of major safety failures at Boeing, which has been pushed into crisis mode since a door-plug panel blew off a 737 Max jetliner during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.