Global Microsoft outage disrupts airlines, banks, and media operations

Microsoft operating systems are experiencing a global outage. This impacts the operations of organisations connected to the tech giant's operating systems. Breaks have been mandated in international airlines, banks, and media operations, among others.

A technical problem, likely related to an update by the American cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, has caused Microsoft system failures in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, and many European countries.

Due to severe issues, significant banks, companies, newsrooms, and TV networks have plunged into chaos. Flights were grounded, and TV channels and banks had to announce technical breaks.

During the outage, computers either reboot automatically or display a blue screen error message.

The global outage affected numerous Australian companies, government agencies, and local media, including ABC and Sky News, which admitted that"everything that makes them functional is "not working."

All American Airlines flights were cancelled, among other things. Passengers already in transit also have problems—airplanes currently in the air will not land until the outage is resolved.

The government in Australia convened an urgent meeting due to the global IT outage - reported ABC.

"There is no information to suggest it is a cyber security incident," - stated the National Cybersecurity Coordinator in a statement published on platform X.

Planes were also grounded in Sydney and Mumbai, with technical issues reported at Berlin airports. There were disruptions at Edinburgh Airport, where a computer error caused the departure screens to malfunction. Departure boards in the main terminal building displayed outdated gate numbers and departure times, leading to some passengers missing their flights. A fire alarm was triggered in the main terminal building in the morning, likely due to the same computer error. Edinburgh Airport stated that it is working on resolving the issue.

Ryanair passengers were also warned, and due to potential issues, it was recommended that they arrive at the airport at least three hours early. The airline also advised that anyone travelling today check the Ryanair app for updated information on their flight.

In the United Kingdom, travellers were expected train cancellations. "We are unable to access driver diagrams at certain locations, leading to potential short-notice cancellations, particularly on the Thameslink and Great Northern networks," stated the communication.

There are also known issues with accessing other systems, such as ticket and passenger information.