A computer outage grounded Seattle-based Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air on Saturday, causing the carriers to cancel 150 flights or around 18 percent of all its flights.
The blown transformer shut down Alaskan’s flight planning computer system for more than 24 hours, impacting more than 12,000 passengers.
Long lines and delays were reported in several airports including at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Alaska and Horizon were praised by the media for their quick response and updates on the issue via social media like YouTube and Twitter.
The presidents of both Alaskan Airlines and Horizon Air issued a public apology on YouTube.
Some passengers where still working to get to their destinations on Monday. Alaska says it is unsure how long it will take to accommodate these passengers.
Meanwhile, American Airlines also had its share of troubles this weekend when after a fire broke out at a Miami airport fuel facility on Wednesday.
The fire damaged fuel lines at that airport, forcing some aircraft to be refueled by temporary pumps or tanker trucks, a slower process that contributed to delays.
One AA spokesperson compared the refueling method to fueling an aircraft with an eyedropper.
On Monday, American was still struggling with flight schedules. The airline was forced to cancel 190 flights on Thursday and Friday, and is expected to cancel another 75 flights on Monday. That’s about a third of its daily schedule at Miami.
American expects the process of replacing the damaged system of pumps to take more than two months.
By Adriana Padilla for PeterGreenberg.com.
Related Links: AOL News, Reuters, USA Today
Related Links on PeterGreenberg.com:
- Air Travel section – Airlines & Airports
- In-Flight Prayers On Alaska Airlines Leads To Security Scare
- FAA Computer Glitch Fixed. Flight Delays Still Expected
- Finding Airports With Fewer Delays
- Citizen Journalism and Flight Delays
