A recent Microsoft Windows 10 computer glitch has caused widespread disruptions around the world, affecting critical services in various sectors, including airports. The problem, known as the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), has led to widespread computer failures, causing a lot of inconvenience to travelers and businesses alike. The source of the problem appears to be an update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike.

Update: Microsoft has released a statement about the CrowdStrike bug. “We are aware of an issue affecting Windows devices caused by updates from third-party software platforms. We expect a resolution soon,” a company spokesperson said.

There have been major disruptions in services at some of India’s busiest airports, including Delhi Airport and Mumbai Airport. Airlines such as Akasa Air, IndiGo and SpiceJet have resorted to issuing handwritten boarding passes due to the inability to create them electronically due to glitches in their systems. This manual process has slowed down operations significantly, leading to long queues and frustrated passengers.

Handwritten boarding passes at Indian airports

The situation turned chaotic at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport as the check-in system crashed. Acknowledging the issue, Delhi airport shared a statement on X, which said, “Due to a global IT issue, some services at Delhi airport have been temporarily affected. We are working closely with all our stakeholders to minimise the inconvenience to our passengers.”

IndiGo airline staff were forced to issue handwritten boarding passes to passengers. This manual process slowed down operations significantly, leading to long queues and frustrated passengers. Many passengers have shared pictures of their handwritten boarding passes on social media platform X. One of the passengers wrote on X, “For the first time I am seeing a handwritten boarding pass in my life”.

IndiGo had earlier said on X, “Our systems are currently impacted by a Microsoft outage, which is also affecting other companies. Bookings, check-in, access to your boarding pass and some flights may be affected during this time. We appreciate your patience.”

Akasa Air has confirmed on social media that it too is resorting to manual check-in and boarding processes. The company shared on the social media platform, “We are currently following manual check-in and boarding processes at airports and hence request passengers with urgent travel plans to reach the airport early to check-in at our counters. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused and would like to assure you that our teams are working closely with our service provider to resolve this at the earliest.”

CrowdStrike bug affects airports around the world

The problem is not limited to India alone. European airline Ryanair has also reported disruptions due to this global IT problem. The airline’s website informed passengers about possible delays, apologising for any inconvenience caused by a third-party system outage. “We regret any inconvenience caused to passengers due to this third-party IT issue, which is beyond Ryanair’s control and affects all airlines operating across the network,” the company wrote on its website.

An X user has shared a picture from Sydney Airport which shows that all the screens showing flight arrivals and departures have turned blue due to the CrowdStrike bug. Los Angeles Airport and San Francisco Airport are also badly affected by the bug.

Globally, several organizations have reported similar problems. Social media is flooded with photos of the infamous blue screen, as users from different parts of the world are sharing their experiences. According to CrowdStrike, the problem originated from an update related to its Falcon software suite, which is designed to manage cybersecurity on computers. This update appears to have triggered a BSOD on systems running the Falcon software, causing widespread outages.

CrowdStrike acknowledged the issue in a support note sent to its customers, saying, “We have had widespread reports of BSODs on Windows hosts, occurring on multiple Senser versions.” While the company hasn’t provided detailed details, it has confirmed that it is working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

The glitch has affected not only airports but also a variety of businesses including banks, telecommunications companies, TV and radio broadcasters, and supermarkets. Reports suggest that these organizations had to take their systems offline to prevent further problems. According to Guardian Australia, which was one of the first to report the glitch, the problem caused significant disruptions in workplaces, causing businesses to be taken offline.