NEW DELHI: Budget airline IndiGo had to cancel around 200 flights across India on Friday due to worldwide outage in Microsoft applications. The outage impacted air services both domestically and internationally.
In a statement IndiGo attributed the cancellations to the "cascading effect of the worldwide travel system outage beyond our control." The airline expressed appreciation for passengers' patience and support during the disruption. Options to rebook flights or claim refunds were temporarily unavailable.
The outage significantly affected operations at various airports. Five IndiGo flights scheduled to depart from Goa's two airports were canceled. Several others faced delays. Similarly, passengers at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport experienced cancellations. Flights to Visakhapatnam Tirupati, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru were affected.
The disruption prompted other airlines to issue advisories. Passengers were urged to check their flight status before heading to the airport. Many flights were delayed. Airlines resorted to issuing boarding passes manually. This resulted in long queues and extended waiting times.
Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu, reassured the public that his ministry and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) were actively managing the situation. "We have instructed all airlines and airport authorities to keep passengers informed about their flight status. They should provide necessary assistance" Naidu said. He added that manual backup systems had been implemented. This would maintain operational continuity.
To mitigate the impact, the civil aviation ministry in collaboration with the AAI, has deployed additional staff. They will assist passengers and address their concerns. Regular updates on flight status are provided. This keeps passengers informed. Services such as bookings check-ins and the issuance of boarding passes are being conducted manually. This has led to longer processing times. Consequently, increased congestion exists at airports.
The global outage of Microsoft applications has underscored the critical dependency of modern air travel on digital systems as efforts continue to restore normal operations. Passengers are advised to stay updated on their flight status and prepare for possible delays.
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