The global IT disruption caused by a Microsoft outage and a Crowdstrike IT problem on July 19, 2024, led to significant impacts on airports and airlines worldwide. Crowds gathered at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, as flights were halted and delays were experienced. The disruption was linked to a tech update failure at cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike, which affected apps and services used by numerous organizations, including Microsoft. The issue resulted in flight update and check-in monitors displaying the infamous “blue screen of death.”
The outage had far-reaching consequences, affecting not only individual users but also large institutions such as banks, stock exchanges, and airports. Grzegorz Drozdz, a market analyst at Conotoxia, described it as a “real global blackout” that paralyzed operations during the peak holiday season and caused chaos in various sectors.
According to FlightAware data, nearly 30,000 flights were delayed globally, with approximately 5,400 of those delays within or involving the United States. Over 3,200 flights were canceled, with almost 2,000 of them being U.S. flights. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg expressed optimism that the transportation delays would be resolved by Saturday, but acknowledged the ripple effects that could persist throughout the day even after the root cause was addressed.
Airlines across Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, and Asia issued updates regarding the impact on their flight schedules and services. Passengers were advised to check their flight status. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration assured that it was working closely with airlines to resume normal operations, but intermittent ground stops and delays were expected as residual technology issues were resolved.
American Airlines managed to safely restore its operation but anticipated delays and cancellations throughout the day. Delta and United also resumed some flight departures but warned of potential disruptions. All three airlines offered waivers to customers for changing their travel plans.
Despite the challenges, some travelers remained calm. Colby Black, a passenger, took the delays in stride, acknowledging that such situations happen in air travel. However, he expressed fatigue and a desire to sleep after waking up early for his flight.
In Europe, Dutch airline KLM reported that its IT issues were almost completely resolved, allowing for the resumption of air traffic at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. Nevertheless, many flights were still delayed or canceled, and further disruption was expected into the weekend. KLM’s partner carrier Air France also experienced limited disruptions, but delays remained possible.
Lufthansa, Germany’s largest airline, stated that it was only slightly affected by the global outage, with the most significant impact on routes to Berlin, Amsterdam, and Zurich. Low-cost German airline Eurowings aimed to operate around 80% of its flights, primarily canceling domestic routes.
London airports Gatwick and Heathrow faced ongoing issues and warned of delays. Gatwick specifically mentioned problems with some airlines’ check-in systems and security, including eGates. Self-check-in systems also experienced temporary outages at various airports worldwide.
The disruption occurred on what was expected to be the busiest day of flights in the year, with over 3,200 departures scheduled. However, due to the outage, Cirium reported that over 3,300 flights had been canceled globally.
It is worth noting that mainland Chinese airlines such as Air China and China Southern were not impacted as they utilize a different system.
In conclusion, the global IT disruption caused by a Microsoft outage and a Crowdstrike IT problem severely affected airports and airlines worldwide. The consequences included flight delays, cancellations, check-in system failures, and security issues. While efforts were made to restore normal operations, residual technology issues and disruptions continued to impact travel. Passengers were advised to stay informed about their flight status and be prepared for potential changes.
