FAA Places Alaska Airlines On Nationwide Ground Stop

Update (1120ET):

Phil LeBeau reports on CNBC television that an earlier malfunction of Alaska Airlines’ IT system triggered a nationwide ground stop. This system calculates the weight and balance of planes.

For all those pilots out there, weight and balance are critical before running up the pre-flight checklist. 

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Shares of Alaska Airlines are tumbling in New York after the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center says all of the carrier’s mainline and subcarrier flights (excluding SkyWest Airlines) are placed on a “ground stop.”

• FAA: ALL ALASKA MAINLINE AND SUBCARRIER FLIGHTS GROUND STOPPED (SKYWEST EXCLUDED)

Here’s the advisory from the FAA: 

Alaska Airlines shares tumbled on the news. Still up on the session. 

The FAA did not explain the reasoning behind the ground stop. 

*This is a developing story.