Massive Microsoft Outage Grounds 1,100 Flights and Delays 1,700 Across the US

Air travel in the United States was thrown into chaos on Friday morning as a significant Microsoft outage disrupted operations across the country. More than 1,100 flights were cancelled, and over 1,700 were delayed, leaving passengers stranded and frustrated.

The disruption began when certain Microsoft cloud services ceased to function, leading to widespread communication issues for several major airlines. Passengers at airports nationwide found themselves stuck without clear information on when flights would resume. 

A United Airlines passenger recounted his ordeal, saying, "No one here knows anything, the gate agents said we all know as much as they do." His flight from Milwaukee to Washington was delayed for hours, both at the gate and on the tarmac. Another passenger, Mack, on his way home, expressed surprise upon learning that the outage was global. "I did not know that the internet was out. It is a global outage," he remarked. Giane, another affected traveler, shared her frustration, "I did not hear anything from the airline that I am traveling from. I just saw a news pop up on my phone...I am tired, I want to get home."

The chaos was not limited to the aviation industry. Banks, media companies, food chains, brokerage houses, and railway networks also reported IT outages, demonstrating the far-reaching impact of the Microsoft disruption.

CrowdStrike, a prominent American cybersecurity technology firm, clarified that the outage was not a result of a cyberattack but rather an issue with a software update. "We're investigating an issue impacting users' ability to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services," Microsoft announced on social media. The issue, linked to a software update from CrowdStrike, caused the notorious 'Windows blue screen of death' for many users.

Despite the turmoil, CrowdStrike's President and CEO, George Kurtz, assured customers that the problem was isolated and a fix had been deployed. He emphasized that it was not a security incident or cyberattack. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also addressed the issue, stating that Microsoft was working closely with CrowdStrike to provide technical support and guidance.

As the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) noted, major airlines such as American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines issued ground stops due to communication problems. The FAA instructed air traffic controllers to inform airborne pilots about the ongoing issues. According to flight-tracking website FlightAware, over 1,100 flights were cancelled and more than 1,700 were delayed by 8:05 am ET.

United Airlines released a statement saying, "A third-party software outage is impacting computer systems worldwide, including at United. While we work to restore those systems, we are holding all aircraft at their departure airports. Flights already airborne are continuing to their destinations." Similarly, American Airlines apologized for the inconvenience and mentioned they were collaborating with CrowdStrike to resolve the issue swiftly.

The Microsoft outage not only highlighted the dependency of various industries on cloud services but also underscored the cascading effects a single technical glitch can have on global operations. As businesses and airlines worked to get systems back online, passengers and customers were left dealing with the fallout, showcasing the interconnected nature of today's digital infrastructure.