What initially looked like an issue plaguing US airlines is now being reported globally and across industries. Airports and airlines in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and India, among others, are reportedly facing service disruption.
Global airlines and airports report problems
In New Zealand, Christchurch Airport has reported IT issues across several systems, which have affected departures and arrivals. In Australia, Melbourne and Sydney Airports, along with Virgin Australia, have also confirmed operational disruptions.
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Airports and airlines in India and Japan are also reporting issues. Narita Airport says that JetStar, Jeju Air, Qantas, HK Express, and Spring Japan are all experiencing problems with their systems.
In India, airlines are reporting long queues and slower check-ins at airports, with some, like IndiGo, also asking travelers on X (formerly known as Twitter) to refrain from making multiple bookings at this time.
Not just the aviation sector
The current issue seems to span across industries, with banks, media houses, and even the New Zealand parliament reporting problems with their computer network.
According to BBC’s Technology Editor Zoe Kleinman, some reports say that cybersecurity company Crowdstrike, which produces antivirus software, “issued a software update that has gone horribly wrong and is bricking Windows devices – prompting the so-called “blue screen of death” on PCs.”
In the UK, reports of bakery and coffee shop chain Gail’s reporting problems with their payment system have surfaced, while the NHS GP system is also reporting problems with booking appointments at some GP surgeries in England, according to the BBC. The network’s Health Editor Hugh Pym reports one GP telling him, “We can see acutely unwell [patients] and handwrite notes/scripts, but for anything else we are asking to call back.”
This is a developing story. Watch this space for more updates.