Over 670 US flights canceled as global IT outage prompts ground stop

Posted by Admin July 19, 2024 Travel

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Air passengers around the world faced delays, cancellations and problems checking in as airports and airlines were caught up in a massive IT outage that also affected industries ranging from banks to media companies.

Several U.S. carriers, including American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, issued ground stops for all their flights early on Friday due to communication problems, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

There were over 600 flights canceled and more than 900 delays as of 6:45 a.m. ET, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. According to aviation analytics company Cirium, the cancellations so far represent a little over 1.9% of scheduled flights, which the firm says is “significantly higher than usual at this point in the day.”

Around the world, airports and airlines advised customers to arrive earlier than normal for flights. Analysts said the outage was likely tied to a glitch in Microsoft software used globally.

Microsoft said users might be unable to access various Office 365 apps and services due to a “configuration change in a portion of our Azure-backed workloads.”

More on the outage: Global tech outage grounds flights, hits banks and media businesses

According to an alert sent by Crowdstrike to its clients and reviewed by Reuters, the company’s “Falcon Sensor” software is causing Microsoft Windows to crash and display a blue screen, known informally as the “Blue Screen of Death.”

The alert, sent at 1:30 a.m. ET on Friday, also shared a manual workaround to rectify the issue. A Crowdstrike spokesperson did not respond to emails or calls requesting comment.

The aviation sector is hit particularly hard due to its sensitivity to timings. Airlines rely on a closely coordinated schedule often run by air traffic control. Just one delay of a few minutes can throw off a flight schedule for take-offs and landings for an airport and airline for the rest of the day.

Some airlines said they were already back online, with Spanish carrier Iberia saying it had managed to avoid flight cancellations.

Airline waivers

Travelers are in for a rough day, but airlines are doing what they can to provide extra flexibility to those affected by the outage.

Delta: As of 6:24 a.m. ET, Delta’s global flight schecule is “paused.” The airline is working to issue a waiver for travelers whose plans are affected today. “Customers with flights scheduled for Friday should continue checking their flight status via the Fly Delta app and Delta.com,” Delta said in a statement.
United: In a statement, United said it was resuming flight operations as of 6:20 a.m. ET, but expects delays and cancellations throughout the day. The airline issued a travel waiver for select airports so passengers can make changes if their flights are affected.
Frontier: Impacts to Frontier’s operations seem to have been isolated to Thursday night, but the airline issued a waiver for travelers who were affected.

What happens if my flight is canceled?

Department of Transportation rules require all airlines to offer customers a refund if their flights are canceled for any reason, but customers may be entitled to additional compensation if a cancellation is within the airline’s control.

It is unclear whether an IT outage affecting all airlines would qualify within their control.

Controllable vs uncontrollable delays

The DOT draws a distinction between operational issues that are in an airline’s control versus those that aren’t.

“A controllable flight cancellation or delay is essentially a delay or cancellation caused by the airline. Examples include: maintenance or crew problems; cabin cleaning; baggage loading; and fueling,” a DOT document says.

What should I do if my flight is delayed?

If your flight is experiencing a long delay, the Transportation Department suggests asking airline staff if they will pay for meals or a hotel room.

The DOT dashboard reflects airlines’ official policies, but many carriers handle compensation for delays on a case-by-case basis and may provide vouchers or other benefits in some situations that are not formally covered.

Contributing: Andrew Mills, Joanna Plucinska and Lisa Barrington; Reuters