On Friday, a global Microsoft outage led to widespread disruptions in flight operations across multiple airports in India. The outage affected various systems, including check-ins, baggage handling, and security clearances, causing significant delays and cancellations. The Civil Aviation Ministry acted promptly to address the situation, ensuring that all travel adjustments and refund processes were being handled efficiently.
Immediate Response
By 3 am on Saturday, airline systems began functioning normally across airports. The Ministry reported that flight operations were proceeding smoothly, although a backlog from the previous day’s disruptions was being cleared. “There is a backlog because of disruptions yesterday, and it is getting cleared gradually. By noon today, we expect all issues to be resolved,” the Ministry stated.
Delhi Airport’s Challenges
Despite the overall improvement, Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in Delhi faced significant challenges. The Digi Yatra system, a biometric-based boarding process, remained non-operational, leading to long queues and manual check-ins. Additional staff were deployed to manage the congestion and assist passengers, with waiting times at Terminal 3 departures averaging around 3 to 5 minutes.
Broader Impact
The global IT outage had far-reaching consequences, highlighting the reliance on Windows-based systems in the aviation industry. Hundreds of flights, including those operated by major carriers like Indigo, Air India, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air, were delayed or canceled as airlines reverted to manual processes. The disruption underscored the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to software issues.
Recovery Efforts
The recovery process involved significant coordination and effort. Airline operators and airport authorities worked tirelessly to return to normalcy. The Civil Aviation Ministry emphasized that all issues related to travel adjustments and refunds were being addressed, and the backlog of flights was being cleared efficiently.
Passenger Experiences
Passengers experienced considerable inconvenience during the outage. At Delhi airport, over 400 flights faced delays, and many travelers took to social media to share images of handwritten boarding passes. The situation improved throughout the day, with most flights managing to stay on schedule.
Future Precautions
This incident has prompted discussions on the need for better contingency plans and more resilient systems. The aviation industry must consider diversifying its technological dependencies and implementing robust backup systems to prevent similar disruptions in the future.
The recent IT outage caused by a global Microsoft issue highlighted the vulnerabilities in the aviation industry’s technological infrastructure. The Civil Aviation Ministry’s prompt response and the efforts of airline operators helped mitigate the impact and restore normalcy. Moving forward, it is crucial to develop more resilient systems and contingency plans to ensure uninterrupted flight operations.
