A global IT outage on July 19, 2024 caused chaos at airports and affected industries worldwide. The disruptions continued into the weekend as airlines struggled to recover. According to FlightAware, over 5,000 flights were canceled and nearly 13,000 were delayed on Friday alone.
The root cause of the outage was a software update from CrowdStrike that went awry. The issue affected major institutions including airlines, hospitals, banks, and television networks.
Delta Air Lines canceled about 36% of its Saturday flights compared to the previous day. American Airlines cancelled just 1% of its mainline operation on Saturday and United canceled 15%. All three carriers waived fare differences and fees for affected customers.
Passengers with impacted flights were entitled to a refund if they did not choose to travel on an alternate flight or accept a voucher. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized this point in a social media post on Saturday.
The disruptions extended beyond the United States, with hundreds of flights canceled and thousands more delayed across Europe and Asia as well.
Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was one of the worst affected airports, with over 78% of flights departing delayed or canceled on Friday. The situation improved slightly on Saturday but delays and cancellations continued.
The ripple effects were felt beyond the aviation industry. DeKalb County reported computer issues affecting utility bill payments, permitting systems, and court services on Friday. Emory Healthcare saw delays in surgeries, while Grady reported minor interruptions.
As of Sunday evening, American Airlines had recovered its systems at 11 a.m. CT and Delta Air Lines reported over 1,200 flights canceled.
The outage served as a reminder of the importance of robust IT infrastructure and the potential consequences when it fails.
