July 20, 2024—See update below
A widespread technology outage early this morning has hit industries across the world, including transportation. Almost 1,400 flights have been cancelled, with other sectors—including banking and health care—also affected.
More than 300 flights were delayed and more than 100 flights cancelled so far today at the three major airports in the New York area—JFK, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty, according to the airline tracker FlightAware.
“Absolute madness” has been reported at Philadelphia International Airport as lines-to-nowhere filled with anxious travelers crowd the concourses.
Microsoft said it was aware of an issue affecting Windows programs running cybersecurity technology from CrowdStrike. “The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed,” CrowdStrike’s CEO said early Friday, as some services appeared to be resuming and American Airlines said it was able to “safely re-establish” operations.
However, the fallout from the initial breakdown shows no sign of abating at press time.
A major East Coast airport has urged passengers not to come to the airport “unless they have confirmed their flight information with the airline.” Charlotte Douglas International Airport is one of nine nationwide American Airlines hubs.
At Miami International Airport, another American Airlines hub, officials say US Customs and Border Patrol operations are being affected nationwide, “so international passenger arrivals are currently being processed manually at a slower pace.”
Here’s a look at some of the disruptions affecting airlines and airports around the world:
U.S.: Major carriers, including American Airlines, Delta and United, all issued ground stops Friday morning, citing communication issues.
Germany: Eurowings says it had to cancel German domestic flights as well as services to and from the U.K. on Friday. The budget subsidiary of Lufthansa said that its check-in and boarding processes were impaired by the computer disruption. The airline called on people traveling inside Germany to book a train ticket and submit it for reimbursement.
South Korea: Several low-cost airlines reported problems, triggering delays in passenger boardings at Incheon International Airport, the country’s biggest airport. Jeju Air Co. said it was experiencing problems with ticketing and other services on its website. Air Premia Inc. said key services on its website, such as ticket bookings, cancellations and online check-ins, were not working. The website of Eastar Jet Co. wasn’t accessible as of early Friday evening.
