Microsoft outage delays IndiGo, SpiceJet flights at multiple airports
What's the story
Flight operations were severely affected on Wednesday morning as check-in systems at several airports went down. The glitch forced airlines such as IndiGo and Air India Express to resort to manual processes, resulting in flight delays. Passengers at Varanasi airport were informed about the situation via a notice that read, "Microsoft Windows reports major service outages globally. IT services/ check in systems at airports are impacted."
Airline response
Airlines respond to Microsoft outage
SpiceJet and Akasa Air were also among the airlines affected by the outage. Neither Microsoft nor the airlines issued immediate statements regarding the incident. Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) acknowledged operational snags on social media at 7:40am, saying that "some domestic airlines are currently experiencing operational challenges."
Flight cancelations
IndiGo cancels 42 flights amid Microsoft outage
IndiGo has canceled 42 flights from Bengaluru airport on Wednesday. A spokesperson told Mint, "We have had several unavoidable flight delays and some cancelations in the past few days due to various reasons, including technology issues, airport congestion, and operational requirements." Meanwhile, Air India, in an updated post on X, said that the third-party system has been fully restored, and check-in at all airports is now functioning normally.
Past incidents
Previous outage also disrupted airport operations
In Hyderabad, chaotic scenes were seen at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. A video from the airport shows a large crowd of frustrated travelers gathered around an airline support counter on Wednesday morning, seeking information regarding their flights. Last month, a technical issue in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS) caused a significant disruption at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, delaying over 400 domestic and international flights.