After a chaotic day that saw more than 5,000 flights canceled worldwide due to a global IT outage, airlines are now working overtime to recover from the disruptions. On Saturday, there were over 1,200 flight cancellations, with more than 900 of them occurring in the United States. This is a significant improvement from the previous day’s numbers, indicating that airlines are gradually getting back on track.
The impact of the IT outage was comparable to severe weather events such as a winter storm or a tropical storm. However, unlike weather-related disruptions, airlines had no time to prepare for the outage, leaving them scrambling to accommodate passengers just as the summer weekend was about to begin. This unexpected challenge put a strain on airline operations, causing delays and cancellations on a massive scale.
A software update from CrowdStrike that went wrong was the root cause of the major outage of Microsoft systems, affecting businesses globally. In response to the crisis, airlines mobilized their teams to work around the clock in order to safely restore their operations and take care of their customers. While the number of canceled and delayed flights was higher than desired, airlines are making strides towards returning to a near-normal operation.
United Airlines COO Toby Enqvist expressed pride in his team’s efforts to navigate through the disruptive technology outage. On Saturday, about 7% of United’s mainline flights were canceled, a significant decrease from the 22% cancellation rate on Friday. Similarly, Delta Air Lines saw an improvement, with only about 10% of its Saturday flights canceled, down from 31% the day before. These improvements indicate that airlines are making progress in recovering from the aftermath of the IT outage.
In light of the disruptions caused by the IT outage, airlines have been offering assistance to affected customers. They have waived fare differences and fees for passengers who were impacted by flight cancellations and delays. This gesture demonstrates airlines’ commitment to mitigating the inconvenience experienced by travelers as a result of the unforeseen IT outage.
While the global IT outage posed significant challenges for airlines and travelers alike, the efforts to recover from the disruptions are evident. With improved flight operations and assistance provided to affected customers, airlines are gradually returning to a state of normalcy after the unprecedented technology outage.