India Grapples with Airport Chaos Amid Global Microsoft Outage

Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu, along with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), is addressing severe disruptions caused by a global Microsoft outage. The outage led to flight cancellations and long queues at airports across India. Manual backup systems have been implemented to maintain operations, while efforts are being made to assist and inform passengers.

Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu on Friday announced that his ministry and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are actively managing the challenges stemming from a global Microsoft outage that has severely impacted airport and airline operations nationwide.

In a statement, Naidu said the civil aviation ministry, in collaboration with AAI, has rolled out manual backup systems to maintain operational continuity. The Microsoft outage prompted flight cancellations and created long lines of passengers at check-in counters across various airports in the country.

With services like bookings, check-ins, and boarding being handled manually, there has been a noticeable increase in waiting times, leading to extended queues. The minister urged passengers to cooperate with airport staff during this challenging period, emphasizing the ministry's commitment to minimizing inconvenience and ensuring the well-being of all travelers.

"I have directed airport authorities and airlines to be compassionate and provide extra seating, water, and food for passengers impacted by delays," Naidu stated.

Additionally, he highlighted that the ministry understands passengers' concerns and is working to secure their safe and swift travel. Airlines and airport authorities have been instructed to keep passengers updated on flight statuses and to provide necessary assistance, including extra staffing to handle the situation.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, in a separate statement, noted that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is also closely monitoring the scenario, with directives issued to private airlines to promptly inform passengers about any disruptions.

"Our teams are working diligently to resolve the issue as quickly as possible to minimize inconvenience to passengers," Mohol added.

(With inputs from agencies.)