Alaska Airlines is suspending flights nationwide due to an IT outage

Thousands of Americans were stranded on the ground Thursday evening waiting to get by air as Alaska Airlines experienced an IT outage that prevented any of its planes from taking off.

“There is a temporary ground stop, we apologize for the inconvenience. If you are flying tonight, please check your flight status before heading to the airport,” the airline announced on social media at 4:20 p.m.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where the carrier is based, reported 82 Alaska Airlines flight delays and 17 cancellations, according to a flight alert. Los Angeles International Airport, meanwhile, reported eight Alaska Airlines flight delays and one cancellation.

The outage marked the second time in recent months that IT issues have prevented Alaska Airlines from flying. The airline suspended all flights for three hours following a similar outage in July.

The outage remained as of 7 p.m., and the airline said it was actively working to restore operations. It did not give any details on what caused the technical problems.

Customers also reported problems accessing the airline’s website and app.

According to the website, the airline flies to 40 destinations worldwide, including 37 states and 12 countries.