Several major U.S. airlines, including Delta, United, and American, experienced a global technology outage on Friday, resulting in hundreds of flight cancellations and delays. Delta was the most affected, with over 700 flights canceled and nearly 1,000 delayed. The outage was caused by a vendor technology issue that impacted several airlines and businesses worldwide, not by Microsoft.
CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm, stated that one of its security updates triggered the outages. Both Delta and United extended travel waivers for affected customers, allowing them to change their travel plans without additional fees. Delta advised customers to use their app or website for updates and apologized for the inconvenience.
At airports like Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, long lines formed at ticket counters as passengers sought assistance with rebooking. Spirit Airlines also experienced cancellations and difficulties in rebooking due to the outage. The knock-on effects of flight cancellations, such as plane and crew displacement, caused further delays throughout the day.
By midday Friday, Delta departures to Hartsfield-Jackson were delayed an average of over 6 hours. The situation was continuously monitored by the Federal Aviation Administration, which issued ground delays for affected flights. It is advised for passengers to stay updated on their flight status and make necessary changes through the airline’s website or app.
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