Microsoft global outage: Flyers' handwritten boarding passes set Internet abuzz, focus on return to 'basics'

Friday's global outage experienced by Microsoft has significantly disrupted airport and airline operations worldwide and across India, sparking a wave of interest and social media buzz over the return to manual processes. The outage, attributed to issues with Crowdstrike’s Falcon Sensor, has led to a temporary revival of handwritten boarding passes and manual check-in procedures.

Major airlines including IndiGo, SpiceJet, Vistara, Air India and Akasa reported widespread disruptions due to the outage affecting their online systems. Travelers faced delays as airlines shifted to manual processes for check-in and boarding.

Also read: Microsoft Windows global outage: Airlines, Stock exchanges, media firms & more hit by blue screen message

"Our systems are currently impacted by a Microsoft outage, which is also affecting other companies. During this time booking, check-in, access to your boarding pass, and some flights may be impacted," IndiGo said in an update on X.

"We are all hands-on decks and are working to restore stability and normalcy. Our digital team is also coordinating closely with Microsoft Azure to resolve these issues swiftly," it stated.

Budget carrier Akasa said, "Due to infrastructure issues with our service provider, some of our online services, including booking, check-in and manage booking services will be temporarily unavailable. Currently we are following manual check-in and boarding processes at the airports."

The airline advised passengers with imminent travel plans to arrive at the airport early for check-in as a precautionary measure.

SpiceJet announced that it is facing technical issues with its service provider, which are impacting online services such as booking, check-in, and managing reservations.

"As a result, we have activated manual check-in and boarding processes across airports," it stated.

The shift back to manual procedures has garnered significant attention online. Passengers and observers have taken to social media to share images and stories of handwritten boarding passes, reflecting a nostalgic return to “basics” in air travel.

Also read: Explained: What caused dreaded 'Blue Screen of Death' on Windows and how affected users can resolve issue?

Here's a look at some of the reactions on social media platform X:

Meanwhile, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw addressed the situation, noting that the IT ministry is actively coordinating with Microsoft. "MEITY is in touch with Microsoft and its associates regarding the global outage... NIC network is not affected," the minister said in a post on X.

The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) also identified the root cause of the outage as a problematic update from Crowdstrike, resulting in “Blue Screen of Death” errors on affected Windows hosts. CERT-In has rated the severity of the issue as "critical."

"It has been reported that Windows hosts related to Crowdstrike agent 'Falcon Sensor' are facing outages and getting crashed due to recent update received in the product. The concerned windows hosts are experiencing a 'Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)' related to Falcon Sensor," the CERT-In advisory said.