Alaska Airlines has suspended all flights nationwide due to a technology outage affecting its operations. The airline announced the ground stop on Thursday evening, stating it was experiencing an IT issue. The duration of the outage and the specific nature of the problem have not been disclosed.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued the ground stop, which is a common procedure often requested by airlines during operational disruptions. This ground stop also applies to Horizon Air, a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines, as confirmed by an FAA advisory.

In a statement shared on social media, Alaska Airlines apologized for the inconvenience, saying, "Alaska Airlines is experiencing an IT outage affecting operations. A temporary ground stop is in place." The airline has been actively responding to customer inquiries on social media, addressing concerns about issues with its app and website.

The airline previously faced a similar situation in July when it grounded flights for about three hours due to an IT outage. Alaska Airlines is one of the largest carriers in the United States, primarily serving the West Coast and offering flights to 140 destinations worldwide, including 37 states and 12 countries.

Air travel in the U.S. has been under strain recently, particularly due to a government shutdown that began in early October. This has led to shortages of air traffic controllers, resulting in flight delays at various airports.

This is a developing story, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.