A massive IT outage early Friday caused widespread disruptions across the globe, affecting major airlines, media organizations, and businesses. The glitch, stemming from issues with Microsoft’s Azure Service and Microsoft 365 apps, brought operations to a standstill in many sectors.
Flights were grounded in multiple countries, with American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines all issuing ground stops due to communication issues. Less than an hour after Microsoft announced the resolution of the problem, these carriers continued to face significant challenges. Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport reported delays in passenger check-in due to a technical fault, and Spain’s airport operator Aena warned of potential delays across its 46 managed airports.
The impact extended beyond aviation. Train operators in the United Kingdom cited IT outages as the reason for cancellations on Friday morning. Businesses reliant on Microsoft services faced operational hurdles, struggling to restore normalcy even after Microsoft addressed the glitch.
The media sector was hit hard as well. NBC News and its British partner, Sky News, were unable to broadcast live news. Sky News executive chairman David Rhodes apologized to viewers on X, noting that while live TV was disrupted, much of their news content remained available online. Efforts to fully restore services were ongoing.
Microsoft acknowledged the issue and confirmed that the problem with its cloud services had been resolved, though a small subset of services continued to experience residual impacts. The company’s Azure Service and Microsoft 365 apps, including Teams, were at the center of the disruption.
The outage has highlighted the critical reliance on cloud computing services in today’s digital age. The cascading effects across various sectors underscore the vulnerability of interconnected systems to technical glitches. As businesses and services work to recover from the disruptions, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of robust IT infrastructure and contingency planning.
This developing story is expected to unfold further as affected organizations strive to return to normal operations. Stay tuned for more updates on this significant global event. The impacts of this IT outage will likely resonate for days as companies and services worldwide assess and address the fallout.
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