Alaska Airlines grounds Seattle flights over tech outage

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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 25: An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9, left, takes off at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on March 25, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. A mid-air door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight and subsequent grounding o ((Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images))

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SEATTLE - Alaska Airlines said it grounded its flights in Seattle briefly on Sunday night due to "significant disruptions" from an unspecified technology problem that was resolved by about 10 p.m. local time.

In comments from its account on X to customers complaining of delays and problems with the airline’s app and website, the carrier apologized for the delays. It later reported that the problem had been resolved. The exact reason for the disruptions was unclear.

"If you are traveling today, please check your flight status before leaving for the airport. If your schedule allows, please change or cancel your flight," the airline said in a statement on its home page. "We apologize for the inconvenience and are working quickly to resolve the issue."

It has been a rough few weeks for people traveling through Seattle, a busy hub for Alaska Airlines and other major carriers.

Last week, the operator of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the main hub for Alaska Airlines, said hackers were demanding $6 million in bitcoin for documents they stole during a cyberattack in August and then posted on the dark web. The Port of Seattle, which owns and runs the airport, said it had decided not to pay.

The airport has been recovering from the attack, which began Aug. 24, a busy time days before the Labor Day holiday weekend.