Global IT Outage Sparks Chaos Across Airlines, Banks

A major IT outage disrupted air travel globally on Friday, causing flight cancellations and delays. The glitch, tied to Microsoft software, affected various industries, including airlines, banks, and media. Airports and airlines urged passengers to check flight statuses online and arrive early. Many resorted to manual check-ins.

Air passengers worldwide faced delays, cancellations, and check-in issues due to a significant IT outage impacting various industries, from banks to media companies. According to Cirium, out of over 110,000 scheduled commercial flights on Friday, 1,390 were cancelled globally, with more expected.

In Edinburgh, boarding pass scanners displayed a 'server offline message,' leading the airport to advise passengers to check their flight statuses online before traveling. Other airports also suggested arriving earlier than usual. Analysts linked the outage to a glitch in Microsoft's globally used software.

Microsoft reported that users might be unable to access various Office 365 apps and services due to a 'configuration change.' Hong Kong International Airport and Singapore's Changi airport switched to manual check-ins but maintained flight operations. The disruption, described by Crowdstrike as a 'content update defect,' sparked chaos from Madrid to New Delhi, affecting airlines worldwide.

(With inputs from agencies.)