Banks, Airlines, Media Outlets Hit By Global Outage Linked To Windows PCs

A widespread global IT outage has forced a diverse range of businesses to go dark, including banks, airlines, telecom providers, broadcast networks, and supermarkets, leaving them unable to operate online.

CNN reports that major US airlines, including Delta, United, and American Airlines, experienced a system-wide ground stop on Friday morning due to a technical communication issue.

According to Reuters, a witness stated that passengers at Edinburgh Airport, Scotland, experienced difficulties utilising automated boarding pass scanners due to security monitors displaying a “server offline” message, as reported by Sky News.

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In the UK, Govia Thameslink Railway’s four brands – Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express, and Great Northern – reported widespread IT failures, impacting their services.

Australia’s Telstra Group, a telecommunications company, has also been reported to be facing disruption.

Sky News was off air briefly in the UK due to the widespread outages, leaving viewers without access to its broadcast.

An on-screen message on Friday morning, apologising for the interruption, read, “We apologise for the interruption to this broadcast. We hope to restore the transmission of Sky News shortly.”

AFP reports that extensive IT disruptions have hit three Indian airlines, and a technical problem has suspended flights at Berlin Brandenburg Airport. Meanwhile, all Spanish airports reportedly grappled with an IT outage, causing widespread travel disruptions.

According to The Guardian UK, the widespread outage has been linked to Windows workstations.

Microsoft 365 users experienced difficulties accessing cloud-based apps on Friday, according to The Guardian UK.