Thousands of Flights Canceled Around the World Following IT Outage — Here’s Which Airlines Are Most Affected

19.07.2024 - 18:28 / travelandleisure.com / Spirit Airlines / United Airlines

A global IT outage on Friday canceled thousands of flights and forced several airlines to request ground stops, throwing travel into chaos.

As of Friday late morning, more than 1,600 flights originating in the United States had been canceled and more than 3,800 had been axed globally, according to data from Cirium Aviation Analytics shared with Travel + Leisure. And that number was growing.

Delta Air Lines had the most cancellations with more than 760, followed by American Airlines with more than 380, and United Airlines with more than 350. Several airlines also issued flight waivers following the tech outage, including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and more.

Additionally, more than 5,000 flights were delayed within, into, or out of the U.S., according to flight tracker FlightAware. Delays were widespread, affecting airports across the globe including China, France, and the Netherlands. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) <a href=«https://x.com/FAANews/status/1814236439359393845?ref_src=» https: data-component=«link» data-source=«inlineLink» data-type=«externalLink» data-ordinal=«1» rel=«nofollow»>said in a statement on X

Delta issued a statement on X stating the airline had “resumed some flights after a vendor technology issue impacting airlines and businesses globally.” Both American and United did the same, but the latter warned: “As we work to fully restore these systems … Many customers traveling today may experience delays.”

The issues started after a cybersecurity firm, CrowdStrike, tried to deploy a faulty update to computers running Microsoft Windows, The Associated Press reported. A Microsoft spokesperson told the wire service the company was “actively supporting customers to assist in their recovery.” 

Following the disruptions, the Department of Transportation (DOT) urged affected passengers to know their rights when it came to cancellations and delays. Earlier this year, the department spelled out when travelers are entitled to a refund for canceled or significantly delayed flights. That new rule goes into effect on Oct. 28.

“If you're a passenger experiencing a travel delay or cancellation, you have FlightRights.gov as a tool to navigate what your airline's responsibilities are to meet your needs as a passenger,” the DOT wrote in a statement on X.