Global Outage Hits Microsoft Windows Devices, Airline and Banking Operations Disrupted

A global outage has severely impacted airline and banking operations due to an update from a third-party software platform affecting Microsoft Windows devices. The issue led to significant disruptions worldwide, including at major airlines and businesses. Authorities are in contact with Microsoft to resolve the situation.

Amid a massive global outage that hit operations of airlines, banks, and businesses across the globe, Microsoft on Friday said it is aware of the issue affecting Windows devices due to an update from a third-party software platform.

A Microsoft spokesperson said, 'We anticipate a resolution is forthcoming.'

Airport and airline operations faced significant disruptions due to the outage, with airlines issuing advisories to passengers. IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa experienced disruptions in their online check-in and boarding processes, switching to manual mode as a result.

Several users reported disruptions on the outage-tracking website Downdetector, while many took to X (formerly Twitter) to express frustration over 'Blue Screen of Death' error messages.

However, the State Bank of India (SBI) and stock exchanges NSE and BSE stated their systems were unaffected. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw mentioned that the IT ministry is in touch with Microsoft, and the NIC network remains unaffected.

In a post on X, Minister Vaishnaw confirmed the reason for the outage has been identified and updates have been released to resolve the issue. CERT has issued a critical advisory on the Microsoft outage caused by the Crowdstrike update.