IndiGo Airlines has announced that it will process refunds for passengers affected by a global system outage that impacted its booking system. The outage, which occurred on Friday, was linked to a broader Microsoft issue affecting various services worldwide.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), IndiGo stated that due to the system disruption, their booking system was affected. They assured customers that if their payment was debited without a confirmation, the payment is secure and refunds will be processed within five days.
The airline confirmed that their reservation system has been fully restored, allowing passengers to make new bookings. IndiGo expressed regret for the inconvenience caused and thanked passengers for their understanding.
The impact of the outage was significant, with IndiGo cancelling approximately 200 flights on Friday. Thousands of passengers were left stranded as a result. On Saturday, July 20, the airline’s website showed that nearly 100 flights were still cancelled.
IndiGo acknowledged that the global outage is nearly resolved and they have made considerable progress in restoring normal operations. However, they cautioned passengers to expect potential delays and schedule disruptions. They urged passengers to check their flight status on their website before heading to the airport.
During the outage, IndiGo had to resort to manual operations for bookings, check-in, and boarding. Some passengers shared images of handwritten boarding passes, highlighting the unusual situation.
The Microsoft outage had a wider impact, affecting various sectors, including banks, telecom networks, and media outlets in Australia. This led to speculation that the issue was linked to a problem at global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.
Passengers have also expressed frustration over the lack of information regarding their flights. The widespread disruptions underscore the vulnerability of interconnected systems and the potential consequences of major outages.
