The Ministry of Civil Aviation provided an update on airline operations following a global Microsoft outage that disrupted flights and check-in processes. According to the ministry, flight operations have returned to normalcy across all airports. In a statement issued on Saturday, the ministry assured that all issues related to travel adjustments and refunds were being actively managed.
Since early morning, airline systems at airports resumed normal functioning, resulting in smooth flight operations. Although there was a backlog from the disruptions on the previous day, efforts were underway to clear it, with expectations that all issues would be resolved by noon.
However, the situation at Delhi's IGI Airport presented challenges as the Digi Yatra biometric boarding system remained offline on Saturday morning. This led to long queues and manual check-ins at departure terminals. Airport authorities responded by deploying additional staff to assist passengers and alleviate congestion.
During the early hours, there were intermittent glitches in issuing boarding passes, although conditions improved later in the day. Despite these challenges, most flights maintained their schedules, with average waiting times at Terminal 3 departures reduced to 3 to 5 minutes. This represented a notable improvement from the disruptions experienced the previous day due to the global IT outage.
The widespread impact of the Microsoft outage underscored the reliance of airports and airlines on Windows-based systems for critical functions such as check-ins, baggage handling, and security clearances. At IGI Airport, the abrupt disruption of the Digi Yatra system necessitated a shift to manual processes, causing operational delays and placing additional strain on airport resources.
The outage affected hundreds of flights globally, including those operated by major airlines like Indigo, Air India, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air. At Delhi airport alone, over 400 flights were delayed, prompting airlines to resort to handwritten boarding passes as a temporary measure. Passengers shared their experiences on social media, highlighting the challenges posed by the sudden shift to manual operations during the disruption.
