Air and Rail Travel Chaos Persists as Passengers Experience ‘Bedlam’ During Global IT Outage
Global IT outage causes chaos in transport networks across the world.
Major airports affected include London Heathrow, Singapore’s Changi Airport, Schipol Airport in Amsterdam, and Melbourne Airport in Australia due to problems with check-ins and security.
By 11am (UK-time) Friday morning, 1,167 flights were cancelled worldwide, with more expected, according to Cirium.
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Impacted areas and services
US airlines like American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines cancelled all flights citing communication issues. Passengers at Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport are facing an average delay of 78 minutes.
Several airports have resorted to manual systems like Belfast International Airport using whiteboards as electronic screens are down.
Passengers queue outside London Stansted Airport. Pic: PA
A passenger at Berlin airport mentioned that despite resolving technical issues, flights scheduled later in the day were cancelled.
Anna, who was traveling to Split in Croatia with her children, found out about the cancellation upon reaching the terminal.
IT outages at Los Angeles International Airport. Pic: AP
“We only found a paper notice on the wall. Out of 20 flights, only 3 were not cancelled,” she shared with Sky News.
In the UK, images showed long queues at Edinburgh Airport and Gatwick, with staff distributing water to waiting passengers.
Airports like Luton, Stansted, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham cautioned passengers about possible delays.
Crowds of passengers at Hong Kong International Airport. Pic: Reuters
A Gatwick traveler mentioned waiting over three-and-a-half hours before a flight to Miami.
Dean Seddon described the chaotic scene with hundreds in the check-in queue, calling it “bedlam.”
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Friday is expected to see the highest number of UK flight departures since October 2019, with over 3,214 departures reported by Cirium.
Nats, the UK air traffic control provider, confirmed normal operations.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh mentioned government collaboration with industry to address the IT failures.
A board at Gatwick Airport shows a mix of fortunes for arriving passengers
“No security concerns are currently known.”
Disruptions across the UK train network
Fourteen train companies under the Rail Delivery Group have been impacted, causing network-wide issues with driver diagrams and potential train cancellations.
A cancelled Great Northern train in Liverpool. Pic: PA
Train operators like Avanti, c2c, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, and others are affected, leading to network-wide issues.
National Rail mentioned struggles with real-time customer info platforms and ticket machines at some stations. Utilizing tickets on alternative services was advised at no extra cost.
Despite the IT outage, Network Rail ensured that most of the rail network remains operational.
