The recent widespread technology outage on Friday 19 July had significant ongoing impact for airports and airlines, as they continue to recover from the disruption caused by the Blue Screen Error of Death, which caused computers running Microsoft Windows to go offline. Although businesses globally are getting their systems back online, air travel is still feeling the effects of the outage.
The cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike was at the centre of the disruption, as it deployed a faulty update to systems running Microsoft Windows. However, it has been confirmed that the outage was not linked to a security incident or cyberattack. Microsoft estimated that 8.5 million devices running its Windows operating system were affected. This led to airlines grounding flights because they were unable to issue boarding passes or fulfill check-in and bag drop requirements. Similarly, airports were significantly impacted, unable to operate all of their services and experiencing large queues due to the inability to process departing and arriving passengers.
For example, at Berlin Brandenburg BER Airport in Germany, all flights were suspended on the morning of Friday 19 July, and other air transport hubs, including Edinburgh, Melbourne, Dallas Fort Worth, Buffalo Niagara Falls, Cleveland Hopkins International, and Spanish operator AENA were all affected.
Even though many services were restored and operating normally by Saturday, George Kurtz, the CEO of security firm CrowdStrike, cautioned that complete recovery could take weeks. This outage also highlighted the potential over-reliance on digital technology, cloud-based solutions, and artificial intelligence (AI) across the industry. It emphasizes the need for airports to remain flexible and resilient, keep robust contingency plans in place, and ensure they have human oversight of AI and technology systems.
In response to the situation, CrowdStrike has announced that it is conducting a thorough root cause analysis to determine how the logic flaw occurred. The company stated that, with this effort ongoing, it is committed to identifying any foundational or workflow improvements to strengthen its process.
The impact of the recent technology outage highlights the vulnerabilities of the aviation industry’s reliance on digital technology. It serves as a reminder for businesses and organisations to continuously assess and review their technology systems, and to ensure they have robust contingency plans in place for any potential technology disruptions in the future. The need for airports to maintain flexibility and resilience is more apparent than ever, as they navigate the challenges posed by digital technology and AI reliance.
In conclusion, the recent technology outage has had a lasting impact on the aviation industry, particularly for airports and airlines. As the industry continues to recover, it is crucial for all stakeholders to assess the vulnerabilities and reevaluate their reliance on digital technology to ensure continued operations and resilience.