Global IT Disruptions Impact Airlines, Telecommunications, and Media
A massive IT outage on July 19, 2024, caused widespread disruptions to computer systems around the world, affecting flights, media broadcasts, and telecommunications. The outage led to the grounding of flights in the United States, delays at airports in Europe and Asia, and interruptions to television services in the UK and Australia.
In the US, major airlines including Delta, United, and American Airlines grounded all flights due to a communication failure reported by the Federal Aviation Administration. Berlin Brandenburg Airport in Germany also suspended flights, while airports in Spain faced disruptions.
In Australia, Sydney Airport experienced delays, with large queues forming at the terminals. Meanwhile, Australian broadcaster Sky News and ABC faced disruptions to their broadcasts, with Sky News reporting an end to its morning news due to the outage.
Experts have linked the outage to a third-party software platform, specifically mentioning CrowdStrike’s security tool, Falcon, which is used for detecting and responding to cyber threats. The company stated that a defect found in a recent update for Windows hosts caused the issue, but emphasized that it was not a cyber-attack.
While the exact scale of the outage is still unclear, experts suggest the global impact is substantial, with banks, supermarkets, and government systems also reporting problems.
