A global IT outage, impacting airlines, banks, TV channels, and businesses worldwide, has created one of the biggest technology crashes in recent years. The disruption, believed to have been caused by an update to an antivirus program, began on Thursday evening, affecting users of Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform running CrowdStrike Falcon cybersecurity software.
IndiGo, a low-cost airline, took to social media to announce the cancellation of over 200 flights due to the “cascading effect of the worldwide travel system outage.” The airline confirmed that rebooking and refund options were temporarily unavailable. They also shared a list of cancelled flights for Friday and Saturday.
Several other airlines, including SpiceJet and Air India, issued advisories urging passengers to verify their flight status before arriving at the airport. The global outage caused delays as airlines switched to manual boarding pass issuance due to the automatic system’s failure. SpiceJet acknowledged technical challenges with their service provider, affecting online services like booking, check-in, and booking management.
Air India issued a customer advisory stating that airport travel systems worldwide were impacted by the tech outage, potentially affecting travel plans. Meanwhile, Air India Express attributed the disruption to global digital infrastructure issues with cloud services, impacting operations across multiple airlines, airports, and businesses globally. Both airlines requested passengers to plan their travel accordingly and allow ample time for airport procedures.
Microsoft acknowledged the issue on its website, noting that the problems began on Thursday at 1900 GMT, affecting users of its Azure cloud platform. The company advised customers to restore from a backup taken before the issue occurred. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz, in a social media post, confirmed a defect in a single content update for Windows hosts as the cause of the outage. He stated that the issue had been identified, isolated, and resolved with a deployed fix.
