Global Microsoft Outage Causes Chaos: Flights Grounded, Services Disrupted Worldwide

A massive Microsoft outage has triggered chaos globally, grounding flights and disrupting hospitals, GP surgeries, train services, banks, stock exchanges, and TV channels.

The technical fault caused Windows computers to shut down unexpectedly, leading to departure boards going blank at airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, and Edinburgh on one of the busiest days for aviation since COVID-19.

Train passengers faced delays due to widespread IT issues across the network, and several GP surgeries had to close because of problems with the NHS appointment booking system. Long queues formed at airports, with Ryanair and Wizz Air warning of disruptions, and TV channels like Sky News and CBBC going off air.

Microsoft confirmed an 'issue' with its 365 apps and operating systems, stating that users should expect 'service degradation.' US cybersecurity company CrowdStrike admitted responsibility, working on resolving the error. Experts suggest a 'buggy' security update may be the cause but haven't ruled out a cyberattack.

As Windows is the most used operating system worldwide, the outage impacted almost every part of the global economy. Restaurants and cafes, including the bakery chain Gail's, couldn't process card payments. Banks, supermarkets, and other major institutions reported computer issues disrupting services.

GP surgeries in Cumbria, Cheshire, Yorkshire, and the West Midlands took to social media to announce their systems were affected. The issue hit the EMIS system, crucial for booking appointments, viewing patient notes, ordering prescriptions, and making referrals.

A practice manager in Berkshire told MailOnline: "We are completely dead in the water. We can't see any patients as our systems are down. It's not clinically safe to treat patients because we can't see their notes. We can't give out prescriptions, and even if we do handwrite them, the problem also affects pharmacies. Hospitals are in an even worse situation."

The LSE Group, which operates the London Stock Exchange, experienced a global technical issue preventing news publication. Bristol Water reported company-wide IT issues but maintained its billing department's operations. Even football clubs were affected, with Blackburn Rovers' ticketing platform malfunctioning.

Microsoft 365 stated they are investigating the issue affecting users' access to apps and services, adding that "services are seeing continuous improvements" as mitigation actions continue. The government was urged to convene the Cobra emergency committee to address the issue.

Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office Spokesperson Christine Jardine MP called for immediate action to minimize disruption to travel and GP appointments, prioritizing the restoration of critical infrastructure.

Ryanair warned passengers of potential disruptions due to the global outage, advising them to check the Ryanair app for updates and arrive at the airport three hours before their flight. Edinburgh Airport reported longer wait times, while Stansted Airport said some airline check-in services were being done manually.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) alerted passengers to expect delays, with widespread IT issues affecting driver diagrams and real-time customer information platforms. South Western Railway's ticket vending machines also stopped working, advising passengers to purchase tickets online, on the train, or from station staff.

Toby Murray, an associate professor at The University of Melbourne, suggested that a 'buggy' update to CrowdStrike's Falcon product might be the cause. Falcon, an Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) platform, monitors computers for intrusions and responds to them. If Falcon malfunctions, it could cause widespread outages due to its extensive deployment and privileged nature.

In the US, emergency services lines were reportedly down in several states, including Alaska, Arizona, Indiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Ohio. Microsoft users worldwide expressed frustration and confusion on social media as their computers shut down unexpectedly.

Sky Sports Presenter Jacquie Beltrao posted on X about being off-air due to the outage, which also led to travel chaos as passengers couldn't check in for flights. American Airlines grounded flights due to a communication issue, with low-cost carriers Frontier Airlines, Allegiant, and SunCountry also affected.

CrowdStrike's support page acknowledged reports of crashes on Windows hosts related to the Falcon Sensor, causing bugcheck/blue screen errors. The engineering teams are actively working to resolve the issue without the need for support tickets.

Sky News and Microsoft have been contacted for comments. Two months ago, Microsoft experienced another major outage affecting Bing.com, its search engine, and other services like DuckDuckGo and ChatGPT. Users reported blank pages or 429 HTTP code errors when trying to log on.