A global tech outage caused widespread disruption today, affecting air travel, emergency services, and businesses worldwide. The incident, triggered by a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, led to thousands of flight delays and cancellations, with major U.S. airlines such as United, American, and Delta temporarily grounded by the FAA.
Passengers at airports experienced significant frustration, with many reporting a lack of information from airlines. One traveler at Minneapolis Airport expressed disappointment, noting that airline staff seemed unaware of the situation's severity. Meanwhile, in Australia, travelers faced canceled flights and struggled to secure accommodations.
The impact extended beyond air travel, as hospitals and healthcare systems were also affected. Massachusetts General Hospital announced the cancellation of all nonurgent surgeries and medical visits due to the outage. Emergency services were disrupted in several states, including Oregon, Alaska, and Arizona, with 911 call systems experiencing failures.
Global news outlets, including Sky News, reported interruptions in their broadcasting, while Olympic officials in Paris confirmed that some of their systems were down. Courts in various locations also faced closures or delays as a result of the outage.
CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz publicly apologized for the disruption, acknowledging the impact on customers and travelers. Although the underlying issues were resolved by the afternoon, the ripple effects of the outage are expected to linger into tomorrow.