Crowdstrike Outage Affecting Airlines and Airports Globally — What You Need To Know

Airlines, banks, and hospitals, among other sectors, have been directly impacted by a gone-wrong software update from Crowdstrike. The managed security service provider has confirmed this is not a cyberattack or a hack of any kind, but this update gone wrong has brought airlines and airports to a screeching halt.

I spoke with an IT professional this morning, and he says over 1 billion machines have been negatively affected, and the problem could drag on for months. We’re in the early hours of this snafu, but it’s already being referred to as “the largest IT outage in history.”

Here’s what you need to know, and what to do if your travel plans have been affected.

Crowdstrike Strikes Travel Plans for Millions

Crowdstrike is a provider of malware and virus protection to over 29,000 companies that run on the back of Microsoft products, with clients including Target, Intel, and the U.S. government.

Its Falcon product was negatively affected this morning as a software update was released, causing billions of computers to show the blue screen of death, rendering them useless. Airlines called for grounding thousands of flights as communications halted.

As of the time of publishing, Crowdstrike has released a software update to fix the issue, with some agencies and businesses back up and running. But this issue is far from over: Initial reports say that each impacted computer may need individual attention to rectify the issue.

As of 11 a.m. CST on July 19, over 3,000 flights have been canceled. This is more than double from the day prior. The legacy carriers are currently leading with the most canceled and delayed flights so far. Here are the leaders, according to data from FlightAware.

This outage isn’t just affecting U.S. airlines or airports either. The Amsterdam Schiphol airport and several European airlines have been impacted. Someone on Twitter posted that IndiGO in India has resorted to handwritten boarding passes.

What To Do if You’re Affected

This issue isn’t likely to be fixed in the immediate future. I’m flying on Monday on IcelandAir, so I’m eagerly watching the news to see the latest.

If your flight has been canceled or severely delayed, save all of your receipts, as you’re likely to get a refund or compensation of some sort. Here’s how you can mend the situation.

Look for Communications From the Airlines and Airports

Keep an eye out for correspondence from your airline. Each carrier will communicate with passengers through their app, email, or via text message about the status of their flights, along with any applicable travel waivers.

If you have an upcoming flight this weekend, you should check the status of your flight before heading to the airport. You can do that in your airline app. Moreover, use Twitter/X for up-to-the-minute communications from airlines and airports alike. As I’m flying on IcelandAir through Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) on Monday, I’m periodically checking these communication channels before heading to the airport.

Take a Look at Which Credit Card You Booked With

If you booked with a travel credit card, you may have travel insurance to cover any expenses you may incur. For example, if you booked with the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, you can file a claim under its travel insurance for trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage.

If you’re impacted, don’t hurry to file the claim until you’ve reached your final destination, as you may incur further costs.

Make Alternative Plans

As I mentioned above, this issue will not be fixed today. However, there are still planes flying, so do your best to work with the airline operating your flight to find an alternative that works for you.

If you need to travel somewhere that is within driving distance, it may be worth booking a rental car and making the drive. With the widespread delays and cancellations, it could be the quicker option.

Final Thoughts

This is a developing story by the minute, so we will do our best to update things as they come in. But this issue could affect travelers for the foreseeable future. That’s because a delayed or canceled flight today typically has ripple affects into tomorrow’s flights.