Videos show long lines at airports after Crowdstrike tech glitch
Travelers around the world faced flight delays and cancellations as airlines came to a near standstill.
- A global IT outage on Friday continues to wreak havoc on air travel, causing widespread flight cancellations and delays.
- Cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike blamed the global technology outage on a glitch in a Microsoft Windows host update.
- Airlines are doing everything they can to provide additional flexibility for those affected by the disruption.
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Billy Bardrick’s journey doesn’t go as planned – in fact, it may not go at all.
As airlines continue to deal with the fallout from a global IT outage on Friday, thousands of flights have been cancelled or delayed.
For Bardrick, a feeder flight from Northwest Arkansas to Atlanta was canceled, meaning she couldn’t continue on to Honolulu and Tokyo.
“I couldn’t even get past security. It came up on the app saying the flight was cancelled,” she told USA TODAY, and she’s still not sure when she’ll be flying.
“I invested a few thousand dollars in this trip. I’ve been planning it for a while, and it’s frustrating not getting any answers about when the next trip will be,” she said.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, several U.S. airlines, including American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, issued orders to ground all flights early Friday due to communications problems, causing a domino effect through Saturday.
More than 1,170 flights were canceled and more than 3,000 delayed as of noon Eastern time Saturday, according to the flight tracking website Flight AwareDelta and United Airlines were the hardest hit, with 513 and 278 flights canceled so far, respectively. Endeavor Air, a wholly owned regional subsidiary of Delta, also saw significant cancellations.
Airlines rely on complex systems: Why the CrowdStrike Stumble Could Cause Days of Chaos
Cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike blamed the global technology outage on a glitch in a Microsoft Windows host update.
“Today was not a security or cyber incident. Our customers remain fully protected,” Crowdstrike CEO George Kurtz Posted on Friday on X“We understand the seriousness of the situation and are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and disruption. We are working with all affected customers to ensure systems are back up and running and able to provide the services their customers rely on. As It was mentioned earlier.The issue has been identified and a fix has been published. There was a problem updating Falcon content for Windows hosts.”
The aviation sector has been particularly affected because of its sensitivity to timing. Airlines rely on a closely coordinated schedule that is often managed by air traffic control. A single delay of a few minutes can throw off an airport’s and an airline’s flight schedule for the rest of the day.
“The issue impacted multiple separate systems, such as those used to calculate aircraft weight, customer check-in, and telephone systems in our call centers,” United Airlines said in a statement Friday. “After all departing flights were grounded overnight, flights resumed Friday morning and we are working diligently to get our customers to their destinations.”
Story continues below.
CrowdStrike Update Crashes Microsoft Systems
Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike has released an update that has crashed Windows systems around the world.
Are flights still grounded? How long will flight delays last?
The FAA will issue grounding orders and other flight control precautions as needed, but most of Saturday’s cancellations and delays are likely due to misplaced airline crews and equipment.
“The airline industry is desperately short of aircraft,” John Haas, a professor of intelligence and cybersecurity at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, told USA Today. “Once they’re out of position, they can’t run their normal operating manual because their aircraft aren’t in the right place to run their route. It’s no longer a single piece of software, it’s a whole system.”
Travelers are advised to contact their airlines and monitor FAA website For the latest information.
How to know why your flight is delayed
Customers can ask airlines why their flights were cancelled or delayed, but the Department of Transportation said it considers the delays and cancellations caused by Friday’s IT outage to be “controllable” by airlines. While airlines may say they were not responsible for the computer glitch, it means the Department of Transportation will hold them accountable for fulfilling commitments they made to customers when it comes to policies such as rebooking or hotel and meal vouchers while the chaos is resolved. Each airline’s policy is outlined on the Department of Transportation’s website Customer service dashboard.
the Bureau of Transportation Statistics It also tracks the reasons for delays and cancellations.
Airline Exemptions
Airlines are doing everything they can to provide additional flexibility for those affected by the disruption.
- Delta He said in statement It “continued its operational recovery on Saturday” and issued a waiver All passengers travelling on Friday are allowed to rebook their flights.
- united Issued waiver United Airlines said it is working to exempt some flights from travel restrictions at certain airports so passengers can make changes if their flights are affected, though a company spokesperson told USA TODAY that nearly all of the airline’s flights depart or arrive at one of the airports covered by the waivers.
- spirit Issue a waiver Allowing customers who have booked flights on Friday or Saturday through any airport in its network to change their flights without any additional fees.
What happens if my flight is cancelled?
Ministry of Transport Rules All airlines are required to offer customers a refund if their flights are cancelled for any reason, but customers may be eligible for additional compensation if the cancellation was within the airline’s control.
What should I do if my flight is delayed?
If your flight is experiencing a long delay, the Department of Transportation suggests asking airline staff if they will pay for meals or a hotel room.
The DOT dashboard reflects the official policies of the airlines, but many airlines handle delay compensation on a case-by-case basis and may offer vouchers or other benefits in some situations that are not officially covered.
What is considered a major flight delay?
Each airline defines major delays differently, but the Department of Transportation’s dashboard identifies airlines that offer compensation for manageable delays of 3 hours or more.
For example, all major U.S. airlines are required to offer a meal voucher for flights delayed by at least 3 hours for reasons within their control. Additionally, Alaska, JetBlue, and Southwest offer a travel credit or voucher when a manageable delay results in “passengers waiting 3 or more hours past their scheduled departure,” according to the dashboard.
How to submit a flight delay compensation claim
Passengers seeking financial compensation for delayed flights must submit a claim to their airline. Passengers seeking other types of compensation, such as frequent flyer miles, can request it through the airline’s customer service.
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