Global IT Outage Disrupts Airports and Companies Worldwide
A significant global IT outage caused by a configuration change in Microsoft Azure servers has led to widespread disruptions across various sectors, including airports, banks, and businesses. The incident, which occurred on July 19, 2023, has particularly affected airports in Bavaria, Germany, where passengers are experiencing delays and cancellations. Major airlines, including KLM and American Airlines, have suspended operations as a result of the outage, prompting warnings for passengers to arrive at least three hours before their scheduled flights.
Impact on Bavarian Airports and Airlines
In Bavaria, airports in Memmingen and Nuremberg have reported significant delays due to processing software issues related to the global outage. Nuremberg Airport faced problems particularly during check-in, leading to cancellations and long queues. Memmingen Airport also struggled with a disrupted passenger processing system, requiring manual check-in procedures. Passengers were advised to arrive earlier than usual to accommodate potential delays. Munich Airport, while not directly affected, experienced cancellations due to the ripple effects from other airports.
Companies Affected by the IT Breakdown
The global computer failure has also impacted several major companies in Bavaria, including Siemens, Allianz, and BMW. Allianz reported difficulties with employee logins, while BMW experienced partial disruptions at its production sites. Siemens confirmed it was affected like other Microsoft customers but was working to resolve the issues. Meanwhile, Microsoft is taking mitigation measures to restore services and has indicated that some systems are already back online. However, the disruptions are expected to continue for some time as the company addresses the root cause of the outage.
