On Friday, around 167 flights scheduled to depart from UK airports were canceled due to a global IT outage, causing widespread disruption. Experts warned that it could take weeks for systems to fully recover.
The outage was caused by a flawed update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, affecting systems worldwide and leading to flight and train cancellations, as well as disruptions in healthcare services. A fix for the bug in the update was deployed on Friday, but the CEO of CrowdStrike stated that it would take some time for systems to be fully restored.
Airports in the UK, including London Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, and Belfast International, advised passengers to check with airlines for any delays or cancellations before traveling over the weekend.
Despite efforts to resolve the issue, delays and cancellations are expected to continue, impacting both departures and arrivals at UK airports. According to aviation analytics company Cirium, a total of 5,078 flights globally were canceled on Friday, with 167 of those being UK departures.
Industry experts have warned that the recovery process could take days or even weeks to fully restore all systems. The National Pharmacy Association also cautioned that disruption to pharmacy services may persist through the weekend.
As systems recover, users are advised to remain vigilant against potential scams. CrowdStrike’s stock value plummeted on Friday, and other companies were also affected by the IT outage, causing major disruptions across various sectors in the US and UK.
The outage had significant impacts on healthcare services in England, with GP practices, ambulance services, and NHS providers experiencing disruptions due to IT issues.
Overall, the global IT outage caused widespread disruptions, affecting various industries and services, with recovery efforts expected to continue over the coming days and weeks.
In the UK, Sky News experienced a temporary outage on Friday morning, while Govia Thameslink Railway, the country’s largest train company, warned passengers about potential disruptions due to “widespread IT issues.”
Across the globe, various major institutions such as banks, supermarkets, and businesses reported computer problems that affected their services. Many businesses were unable to process digital payments or access important databases.
Ann Johnson, the deputy chief information security officer at Microsoft, described the outage as a significant issue and was uncertain about the timeline for restoring services for all customers.
