Malta International Airport hit by global Microsoft outage: ‘Delays are expected’

An issue with Microsoft services has handicapped many airlines and banks that rely on the tech giant’s software, leading to grounded flights, delays, and general chaos across the globe.

Earlier on Friday, Ryanair said it is experiencing disruption across its network, and advised all passengers to arrive at the airport at least three hours prior to their scheduled departure time.

Shortly later, Malta International Airport issued its own statement, saying that “delays are expected” as a result of network disruptions affecting multiple airlines.

It advised passengers flying on Friday to check current updates about the status of their flights on its website.

The impacts are being felt across the globe, with Euronews calculating that over 1,000 flights have been cancelled. One X user from India even posted a remarkable photo of a handwritten boarding pass.

The Microsoft / CrowdStrike outage has taken down most airports in India. I got my first hand-written boarding pass today 😅 pic.twitter.com/xsdnq1Pgjr

— Akshay Kothari (@akothari) July 19, 2024

Microsoft addressed the outage, and noted that issues are being experienced in several of its services. These include Microsoft Defender, Microsoft OneNote, OneDrive for Business, Windows 365, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams, and more.

With many of the world’s businesses using the Windows operating system, the issue at Microsoft has had far-reaching implications.

In the UK, Sky TV was forced off the air, while many shops are unable to accept card payments.

Retailers have also been affected, with many point-of-sale systems left unable to process payments.

SumUp, an ePOS solution that has captured a significant market share in Malta among shops and restaurants, said that it is “currently experiencing server issues and as a result it is not possible to access the system to take payments.”

US-based cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike has acknowledged that it is likely to be involved, with initial indications pointing to a buggy update to its Falcon Sensor system. However, it refused to rule out the possibility that the issues were caused by a cyberattack. [Later ruled out – see below.]

Microsoft statement

In a comment made to this newsroom, a Microsoft spokesperson said: “There are two issues occurring simultaneously today. One relates to an Azure/M365 outage which happened overnight in the US and impacted multiple S500 and disrupted airlines. The second issue emerged in the past hours concerns a CloudStrike outage impacting Windows machines.

“While the two issues do not affect all markets, understandably, media are conflating the two issues.

“With regards to the Azure outage, Microsoft is aware of the issue affecting a subset of customers and while acknowledging the impact this is having on customers, Microsoft is working to restore services for those still experiencing disruptions as quickly as possible.

“With regards to the CrowdStrike issue, Microsoft is also aware of that this is affecting Windows devices due to an update the third-party software platform and anticipates a resolution is forthcoming.”

Crowdstrike statement

Crowdstrike CEO George Kurtz took to X late on Friday morning to state that the problem was “identified, isolated, and a fix has been deployed.

He added that the problem was “not a security incident or cyberattack.”

He said: “CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website. We further recommend organizations ensure they’re communicating with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully mobilized to ensure the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers.”

The Austin, Texas-based Crowdstrike’s shares had plummetted by over 20 per cent as of the time of writing.