911 And Anchorage & Fairbanks Airports Hit Hard By Computer Problems July 18-19th, 2024
TROUBLES WITH MICROSOFT BASED COMPUTER SOFTWARE UPDATE... Disrupted Communications, Flight Cancellations, 911 Dispatch in Wasilla, Fairban...

FROM DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, July 19, 2024
The recent Microsoft issue has had significant operational impacts on the Alaska International Airport System (AIAS), Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC). Both airports are experiencing multiple flight delays and ANC has seen several flight cancellations across multiple airlines. Given the impacts nationwide we can expect delays and cancellations at least for the next 24 hours as airlines resume operations.
All Alaska Airlines flights are on time with no reported delays due the Microsoft outage.
Operational Issues at Fairbanks International Airport (FAI)
- Flight Disruptions:
- United Flight 1186 to Denver (DEN): Delay, rescheduled for an estimated departure time (ETD) of 3 pm. The aircraft was pushed back to spot 5 for the incoming AirNorth flight at 9 am.
- Delta Flight 2408 to Seattle (SEA): Delay, currently at gate 5 due to a hydraulic leak. No ETD has been provided yet.
- Delta Flight 316 to Minneapolis-Saint Paul (MSP): Delay, rescheduled for an ETD of 2 pm.
- The 911 and regular phone lines for Fairbanks Alaska State Troopers (AST), Fairbanks Emergency Communications Center (FECC), Matcom, and Soldotna dispatch went down last night shortly after 9 p.m.
- FAI’s Communication Center was the only dispatch center that could receive 911 calls in the FNSB and all calls had to be routed to FAI.
- The University of Alaska Fairbanks Fire Department (UAF FD) dispatched personnel to assist FECC with fire and medical calls from the Airport Communications Center.
- FAI’s Cisco phones are functioning normally, and did so throughout the event, despite the issues with other communication lines.
- As for 4 a.m. connectivity was restored to FNSB emergency dispatch centers, and they were operational again.
Operational Issues at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
- Flight Disruptions:
- Delta Airlines: Experienced 4 flight cancellations,
- United Airlines: Experienced 3 flight cancellations.
- American Airlines: Experienced 1 delay.
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 9 ferries serving 35 communities, over 5,600 miles of highway and 839 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”