Airlines and banks across the globe are gradually restoring normal operations after a significant IT crash disrupted services on Friday. The crash, one of the largest in recent years, was triggered by an update to an antivirus program running on Microsoft Windows.
Airports and Airlines Resume Operations
The crash led to the cancellation of dozens of flights, causing passenger crowds to swell at airports as travelers awaited updates. By Saturday, multiple US airlines and airports across Asia reported a resumption of operations. Check-in services were restored in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Thailand, with services mostly returning to normal in India, Indonesia, and at Singapore’s Changi Airport.
Keerati Kitmanawat, President of Airports of Thailand, stated, “The check-in systems have come back to normal at Thailand’s five major airports. There are no long queues at the airports as we experienced yesterday.”
Cause and Response
Microsoft identified the issue at 1900 GMT on Thursday, which affected Windows users running CrowdStrike Falcon cybersecurity software. CrowdStrike’s CEO, George Kurtz, apologized for the disruption and confirmed that a fix had been deployed. However, he noted that it could take a few days for services to fully return to normal.
The White House reported that President Joe Biden’s team was in contact with CrowdStrike and affected parties, ready to provide assistance if needed. A senior US administration official noted, “Our understanding is that flight operations have resumed across the country, although some congestion remains.”
Broader Impact
The IT crash also impacted health services, media companies, and financial institutions. Sky News in Britain and Australia’s ABC reported significant difficulties, with the glitch disrupting their broadcasts. Australian authorities warned of an increase in scam and phishing attempts following the outage.
Banks in Kenya and Ukraine experienced issues with their digital services, while some mobile phone carriers and customer services in various companies were disrupted. Junade Ali of Britain’s Institution of Engineering and Technology described the scale of the outage as “unprecedented,” comparing it to a similar incident in 2017.
Manual Check-Ins and Flight Delays
Some airports halted all flights, while others resorted to manual check-ins, leading to long lines and frustrated travelers. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initially ordered all flights grounded, but airlines later worked through the backlog to re-establish services.
India’s largest airline, Indigo, reported that its operations were resolved, and normal operations were expected to resume over the weekend. AirAsia continued to recover its departure control systems and advised passengers to arrive early for manual check-ins.
Expert Opinions and Future Considerations
Despite the quick response from CrowdStrike, experts like Oli Buckley from Loughborough University questioned the ease of implementing a proper fix. “While experienced users can implement the workaround, expecting millions to do so is impractical,” he said.
John McDermid, a professor at York University, emphasized the need for resilient infrastructure. “We need to be aware that such software can be a common cause of failure for multiple systems at the same time,” he stated.
As companies continue to assess the damage and patch up their systems, this incident underscores the critical need for robust and resilient IT infrastructure in a highly interconnected world.
Afsheen Gohar believes in the power of clear, straightforward writing. Her blog posts tackle everyday topics with relatable insights and easy-to-follow advice. With a conversational style, she makes complex subjects feel understandable. She’s dedicated to sharing knowledge and empowering readers to take action. Find her latest posts on trending in social.
