On Friday, a significant disruption in Microsoft's cloud services caused widespread flight cancellations and delays across major airports in India, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Pune, and Mumbai. The disruption extended beyond airlines to affect various businesses, including banks, telecom companies, and media broadcasters, due to the "blue screen of death" errors appearing on Windows workstations globally.
Airlines such as Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Airlines, and SpiceJet experienced disruptions in their booking and check-in services. This prompted several airlines to resort to manual check-in and boarding processes at airports, urging passengers to arrive early.
At Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, delays averaged 51 minutes, while Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport faced nearly 40-minute delays. Chennai reported 21 cancelled flights, and Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport saw 30 cancellations.
Air India acknowledged temporary impacts on its systems due to the Microsoft outage, leading to delays. SpiceJet faced technical challenges in providing flight updates, while Akasa Airlines announced the temporary unavailability of online services at Mumbai and Delhi airports due to infrastructure issues with their service provider.
IndiGo alerted passengers about slower check-ins and longer queues, attributing the issues to ongoing problems with Microsoft Azure affecting their systems network-wide.
In response to the disruption, the Ministry of Civil Aviation intervened, directing airlines and airport authorities to implement manual backup systems for operational continuity. Passengers affected by delays were assured of provisions for water, food, and extra seating. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu emphasized the importance of keeping passengers informed about their flight status.
The incident left passengers stranded and frustrated, with reports of hour-long delays in baggage check-ins and boarding pass issuance. Social media flooded with complaints from travelers facing inconvenience and sharing images of handwritten boarding passes.
Microsoft acknowledged problems with Azure cloud and Microsoft 365 services and pledged to reroute impacted traffic to alleviate the disruption's impact. The outage also affected flights globally, notably in the United States, where airlines like Frontier Airlines temporarily grounded flights for over two hours, resulting in significant cancellations and delays.
In conclusion, the disruption highlighted the vulnerability of global aviation and business operations to cloud service interruptions, emphasizing the need for robust backup systems and contingency plans in critical infrastructure sectors.
