Windows IT outage impacted large airlines and healthcare systems.
Due to a technical issue affecting IT systems, several major U.S. airlines, including American Airlines, United, and Delta, grounded aircraft early on Friday. A mass Windows IT outage caused disruptions to organizations worldwide, including banks, airports, health care providers, broadcasters, and corporations. It also impacted a few 911 call centers and the Paris Olympics’ IT systems. Microsoft announced that it was aware of a problem impacting Windows programs that use CrowdStrike cybersecurity technologies. Early on Friday, the CEO of CrowdStrike declared, “The issue has been identified, isolated, and a fix has been deployed,” as some services seemed to be starting up again and American Airlines declared it was able to “safely re-establish” operations.
What you should know is as follows:
Early on Friday, George Kurtz, the CEO of CrowdStrike, stated on X, “This is not a security incident or cyberattack.” American Airlines grounded all departing flights due to a “technical issue with CrowdStrike” affecting “multiple carriers.”
Overnight on Thursday and into Friday, Microsoft Windows customers reported suffering “blue screen of death” (BSOD) failures in businesses all over the world. At least some quickly went back to working.
Photos: Travelers affected by Microsoft outage face airport chaos
Travelers wait in Terminal 1 at Hamburg Airport on Friday as a Microsoft Windows IT outage disrupts flights, banks, and companies worldwide. (Bodo Marks/AP)
Passengers sit waiting at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Friday in Bangkok. (Mailee Osten-Tan/Getty Images)
Passengers crowd the International flights departure terminal of Rome’s Fiumicino airport on Friday, as many flights were delayed or canceled amid the outage. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)
Passengers look at a screen displaying delayed flights at Barcelona Airport on Friday. (David Ramos/Getty Images) )
Travelers gather near check-in counters at Narita International Airport east of Tokyo on Friday. (‘E’h/AP)