Air travel across India faced significant disruptions on Wednesday morning after a widespread technical failure crippled automated check-in systems at multiple airports. The outage, linked to a global Microsoft Windows service failure, forced airlines to revert to time-consuming manual procedures, leading to cascading flight delays and passenger inconvenience.
Widespread Technical Snag Hits Key Airports
The problem surfaced early in the day when check-in platforms at several airports simultaneously stopped functioning. A source confirmed to PTI that the system outage impacted operations at multiple locations. In Varanasi, airport authorities made a public announcement to inform stranded passengers. The announcement explicitly stated, "Microsoft Windows reports major service outages globally. IT services/ check in systems at airports are impacted."
The announcement further notified travellers that manual check-in and boarding processes were being implemented as a temporary workaround while technical teams worked to restore the systems. Major carriers including IndiGo, SpiceJet, Akasa Air, and Air India Express were among those affected by the technical snag, as per information shared at the airports.
Airlines and Airports Scramble to Respond
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) was one of the first to officially acknowledge the issue on social media. In a post on X at 7.40 am, DIAL stated, "Some domestic airlines are currently experiencing operational challenges, which may lead to delays or schedule challenges. Our on-ground teams are diligently working with all stakeholders to ensure a seamless and efficient passenger experience."
As of Wednesday morning, neither Microsoft nor the affected airlines had issued immediate official statements regarding the cause or the expected resolution time. The scale of the disruption and how long it would last remained unclear, leaving passengers in a state of uncertainty.
History Repeats: Not the First Global Outage
This incident marks a recurring problem for aviation infrastructure reliant on Microsoft's ecosystem. This is not the first time airports worldwide have been paralyzed by a Microsoft system outage. Back in July, a separate widespread Microsoft 365 outage, reportedly caused by a faulty update, triggered major operational disruptions at multiple global locations.
The recurrence of such outages highlights the vulnerability of critical transportation services to centralized software failures. For now, passengers are advised to check directly with their airlines for flight status updates and allocate extra time for manual check-in processes at the airport.
