Global IT Outage Causes Chaos Across UK Transport and Health Services

The UK faced significant delays in airports, trains, and healthcare due to a global IT outage linked to cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike and Microsoft. The disruption affected Windows PCs globally, causing delays at Heathrow, Gatwick, and other airports, as well as issues for the NHS and London's Stock Exchange.

Airports and trains across the UK experienced delays on Friday due to a global IT outage that affected major organizations including the London Stock Exchange and the National Health Service (NHS). The issue, connected to cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike and Microsoft, disrupted Windows PCs globally.

Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, and Edinburgh airports reported varying levels of delays, with Heathrow implementing contingency plans. Gatwick Airport warned passengers about possible delays during check-in and security, while Luton and Edinburgh switched to manual systems.

The London Stock Exchange Group continued trading normally but faced issues with its Regulatory News Service. The NHS also experienced disruptions, affecting general practitioner surgeries' ability to access patient records and book appointments, though emergency services remained unaffected.

Train services were similarly impacted, with Govia Thameslink Railway reporting delays on the Thameslink and Great Northern networks. National Rail teams are investigating the root cause of the problem. The first signs of the outage emerged from the US after issues with Microsoft services such as Azure and 365, which are now seeing improvements.

(With inputs from agencies.)