A significant global IT outage, caused by a disruption in Microsoft’s cloud services, led to widespread flight cancellations and delays in India on Friday. The impact was felt most acutely at Delhi and Mumbai airports, where numerous passengers faced inconvenience. The outage affected booking and check-in services of several major airlines, including IndiGo, Akasa Airlines, and SpiceJet.
Overview of the Incident
The incident began early in the morning when passengers reported issues with online check-ins and bookings. Microsoft, a key provider of cloud services for many companies, experienced a major disruption that cascaded down to various industries, including aviation. This led to immediate operational challenges for airlines that rely heavily on these services.
Affected Airlines
IndiGo, India’s largest airline by market share, reported significant delays. Many passengers took to social media to express their frustration. IndiGo’s official response acknowledged the problem, emphasizing that their team was working round the clock to resolve the issue.
Akasa Airlines, a newer entrant in the Indian aviation market, also faced similar problems. The airline issued a statement apologizing to passengers and providing updates on their efforts to manage the situation.
SpiceJet saw a substantial number of flights delayed. The airline advised passengers to arrive at the airport well in advance to complete check-in procedures manually. SpiceJet also ensured that its staff was available to assist passengers during this challenging time.
Impact on Airports
The Delhi and Mumbai airports bore the maximum brunt of the outage. With both airports being major hubs in India, the ripple effects were significant. Long queues formed at check-in counters, and airport staff were stretched thin trying to manage the influx of passengers.
Passenger Experiences
Passengers reported mixed experiences. Some praised the efforts of airline and airport staff for their quick response and assistance, while others expressed frustration over the lack of clear communication. Many shared their experiences on social media, highlighting both positive and negative aspects of the situation.
Airline Responses
IndiGo, Akasa, and SpiceJet each took steps to mitigate the impact. These included deploying additional staff at airports, providing regular updates through social media and other communication channels, and offering compensation or alternative travel arrangements for severely affected passengers.
Technical Details
The root cause of the outage was a failure in Microsoft’s cloud services infrastructure. This failure had a cascading effect, impacting multiple industries. Microsoft’s engineers worked tirelessly to restore services, and by late afternoon, many systems were back online. However, the backlog of affected flights and the need to reschedule and rebook passengers meant that disruptions continued throughout the day.
Measures Taken to Resolve the Issue
Airlines and airports implemented several measures to handle the situation. These included increasing manual check-in counters, extending the check-in window, and providing real-time updates to passengers. Microsoft also worked closely with affected airlines to expedite the recovery process.
Future Preventive Measures
In the aftermath of the outage, airlines are reassessing their dependency on single cloud service providers. There is a growing consensus on the need for robust contingency plans and diversified IT infrastructure to prevent such widespread disruptions in the future.
The global IT outage underscored the vulnerability of modern aviation to technological disruptions. While the immediate response by airlines and airports helped mitigate the impact, the incident highlighted the need for stronger IT resilience and better crisis management strategies. Passengers, while inconvenienced, appreciated the efforts made to resolve the issues as swiftly as possible.
