A global technological glitch wreaked havoc across multiple sectors, disrupting flights, banking services, and media broadcasts. The problem, apparently triggered by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike’s software, unfolded late Thursday and spilled into Friday morning, affecting millions worldwide.
Microsoft 365 was notably impacted, leaving businesses and governments scrambling. The tech giant acknowledged the outage and assured users they were “working on rerouting the impacted traffic to alternate systems” to alleviate the issue. Despite their efforts, the disruptions persisted for hours, affecting many services.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration grounded major carriers, including American Airlines, Delta, and United Airlines. This unexpected halt left travelers stranded in airports, with some, like Britty Daniels in Burlington, Vermont, expressing frustration over the lack of information and resolution timelines. “We’re just here waiting in the airport with three small kids, hoping to get home,” Daniels shared with NPR.
In New Zealand, acting Prime Minister David Seymour indicated that officials were quickly assessing the potential impacts of the global outage. He reassured the public that there was no indication of malicious cyber activity. Nevertheless, the outage caused significant inconvenience for both the public and businesses.
The cascading effects of this disruption were felt keenly in Europe and beyond. Airports in the U.K., such as London’s Stansted and Edinburgh, experienced delays as manual check-in procedures were implemented. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, a major European hub, reported a “major impact on flights” on one of its busiest days.
The ripple effect extended to Australia, where airlines like Virgin Australia and Qantas, along with major banks and telecommunications providers, experienced severe outages. News outlets, including the ABC and Sky News, struggled to broadcast, with some reporters resorting to live online broadcasts from dimly lit offices.
Meanwhile, in Asia, Hong Kong’s Airport Authority and various Indian airlines, including IndiGo, faced significant operational disruptions. Airlines switched to manual processes, leading to considerable delays and frustration among passengers.
South Africa also grappled with the fallout, as at least one major bank reported nationwide service disruptions. Customers were unable to process payments at various retail locations, further illustrating the extensive reach of the outage.
Germany’s Berlin Airport and Switzerland’s Zurich Airport were not spared either, with Zurich suspending landings temporarily and Berlin delaying flights due to technical faults. The Schleswig-Holstein University Hospital in Germany had to cancel elective surgeries, underscoring the widespread impact on healthcare services.
Israel’s Cyber Directorate reported issues attributed to CrowdStrike’s platform, affecting post offices and hospitals. Similarly, several practices within the UK’s National Health Service reported being unable to access patient records, hampering appointment bookings and patient care.
This technological breakdown highlighted the vulnerability of global systems reliant on interconnected software platforms. As the world continues to navigate the digital age, this incident is a stark reminder of the potential consequences of widespread technological failures.