A significant CrowdStrike system outage disrupted global computer networks on Friday, causing flight cancellations in the United States, interrupting television broadcasts in the United Kingdom, and affecting telecommunications in Australia.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, major US airlines such as Delta, United, and American Airlines grounded all flights due to a communication problem.
According to a spokesperson, flights were suspended at Berlin Brandenburg Airport due to a technical issue, causing delays and cancellations until 10:00 am.
Airports in Spain also experienced disruptions from an IT outage affecting several companies globally, as reported by airport operator Aena.
In Hong Kong, some airlines faced delays linked to a Microsoft outage, and the UK’s largest rail operator warned of possible train cancellations due to IT problems. According to a spokesperson, large queues formed at Sydney Airport in Australia, where flights continued with potential delays.
Australia’s National Cyber Security Coordinator attributed the large-scale outage to a third-party software issue, with no indication of hacking involvement.
Airports, Banks hit
Banks and airports were affected as a widespread glitch caused disruptions.
Sky News had to end its morning broadcasts in the UK, and Australian broadcaster ABC also experienced a significant outage.
Some self-checkout terminals at one of Australia’s largest supermarket chains displayed blue error messages, rendering them unusable.
The banks and computer systems in New Zealand have reported issues in parliament.
Australian telecom company Telstra suggested that global problems with software from Microsoft and cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike were to blame.
Microsoft stated it was taking “mitigation actions” to address service issues, noting continuous improvements but not confirming a link to the global outages. CrowdStrike was unavailable for immediate comment.