In what is shaping up to be the biggest IT meltdown of the year, airlines like Delta (DAL) United Airlines (UAL) and American Airlines (AAL) They all issued a stop order on all their flights because Microsoft Windows (MSFT) Systems they use for everything from check-in to communication display error messages colloquially called “the blue screen of death.”
The flaw is not a cyberattack, but is related to a failed update to CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity program that many airlines and banking companies use to protect their computer systems. He said that The company is “actively working” to identify and repair the situation, but the outage is causing widespread chaos and flights will remain suspended throughout Friday.
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Data from flight tracking website FlightAware shows that more than 700 flights across the United States were canceled as of 9 a.m. ET on July 19, while another 1,000 were delayed with no information on when they might take off.
'Please check with your airlines for the most up-to-date information'
“The FAA is closely monitoring a technical issue affecting U.S. airlines' computer systems,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. “Several airlines have requested FAA assistance in grounding their fleets until the issue is resolved.”
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Similar cancellations have occurred everywhere from the United Kingdom and Germany to Australia and Thailand. Photos have begun to emerge of long lines of passengers waiting for more information. Airports such as O'Hare and Tampa have taken to social media to ask travelers who have a flight scheduled but have not yet arrived at the airport to check for airline updates before they travel.
“Many of Tampa International Airport's airlines were impacted by a global computer outage, resulting in several flights being delayed or canceled this morning,” the airport posted on the social media platform formerly known as twitter. “Passengers should check with their airlines for the most up-to-date information on their flight schedules.”
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But thousands of travelers who had early morning flights and had already arrived at the airport found themselves stranded with little information about when they would be able to board their flights.
Many reported seeing endless lines at the airline's customer service desk or hours-long wait times when trying to reach a representative by phone. But since many of the same representatives are also waiting for information from airport authorities and the FAA, there may not be much point in stressing out in line when one could be grabbing a drink at an airport bar.
“I don’t actually feel well,” Frank Tingley, a 42-year-old data analyst stranded at Boston’s Logan International Airport, told the New York Times. “The general mood is that people are looking for a quiet corner and just trying to find shelter.”
Early Friday morning, American Airlines became the first major carrier to say it could “restore (its) operation” and begin operating certain flights. On its website, Delta said it is “working to issue a travel waiver” that would allow those who are able to fly later to automatically reschedule their flights for free and relieve some of the pressure to overcome the bottleneck caused by the service disruption.
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