This story is developing. Last updated 12:15
Airlines, airports and railways are among those affected by mass IT outages being reported around the world.
Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted, Luton and Edinburgh are among the UK airports reporting problems, while Schiphol, Tokyo, Delhi and Sydney are some of the overseas hubs affected by a Microsoft software problem.
Aviation analytics firm Cirium said 52 flights have been cancelled departing UK airports so far [as of 11.45am], with a further 51 inbound arrivals cancelled.
Reuters reported that major US carriers including American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines issued “ground stops”, preventing planes from taking off on Friday morning citing communication issues, less than an hour after Microsoft resolved its cloud services outage that hit several low-cost carriers.
Clive Wratten, chief executive of the Business Travel Association, commented: “The worldwide IT issues are having a significant impact on global travel.
“Our travel management companies are working flat out to find new arrangements and reassure passengers stuck around the world. We will work with airlines, airports and train companies as the situation evolves.”
An Abta spokesperson advised travellers to check with transport providers to see if they have been affected.
“It’s important to remember that the outage is affecting businesses in different ways, so it is really important to check whether your travel plans are affected,” added the spokesperson.
Tui said its overall service level is affected, as are partner systems such as automated check-in processes at airports or cruise terminals.
It added most of its processes can be covered manually and advised customers to travel to their airport as normal, unless contacted by Tui or a non-Tui airline directly.
“However, please plan ahead, expect longer waiting times and regularly check the Tui app,” it added.
“Please also inform yourself about the current situation at your specific airport as the local situation might differ.”
Heathrow said on X: “Microsoft is currently experiencing a global outage which is impacting select systems at Heathrow. Flights are operational and we are implementing contingency plans to minimise any impact on journeys. Please check with your airline for the latest flight information.”
Microsoft is currently experiencing a global outage which is impacting select systems at Heathrow. Flights are operational and we are implementing contingency plans to minimise any impact on journeys. Please check with your airline for the latest flight information. pic.twitter.com/s6Psd6pHUB
— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) July 19, 2024
The Ryanair website warns: “Potential disruptions across the network (Fri 19 July) due to a global 3rd party system outage. We advise passengers to arrive at the airport 3 hours in advance of their flight to avoid any disruptions.”
Gatwick airport said on X: “We are affected by the global Microsoft issues, so passengers may experience some delays while checking in and passing through security. Passengers should still arrive for their normal check-in time. We apologise for any inconvenience and are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Gatwick Express said it is experiencing “widespread IT issues” across its entire network. “Our IT teams are actively investigating to determine the root cause of the problem,” it said.
Edinburgh airport reported on X: “An IT system outage means wait times are longer than usual at the airport. This outage is affecting many other businesses, including airports.
“Work is ongoing to resolve this and our teams are on hand to assist where we can.”
The Telegraph reported that Manchester airport said the IT outage is only affecting Swissport, which does ground handling work for some airlines.
The company is manually checking people in, meaning that check-in for flights served by Swissport is taking a little longer and making those areas busier.
A Manchester airport spokesman said passengers don’t need to alter their plans, adding “we don’t want people thinking they need to come to the airport earlier because that can cause overcrowding”.
19.07.24 | 9:50am
Information for passengers travelling from Manchester Airport. pic.twitter.com/z7skluCx7H
— Manchester Airport (@manairport) July 19, 2024
The BBC said that some check-ins are being done manually at Stansted but “flights are still operating as normal”.
“Our main operational systems are unaffected…but some retail payment machine services have been impacted,” said a spokesperson.
Luton airport posted on X to say check-in and boarding processes for some airlines have been affected. Additional staff are on hand and operations are continuing with manual systems, it added.
British Airways said some of its flights may experience disruption today.
“Please visit our flight status page for the most up-to-date information on your flight,” it advised passengers.
“Our call centres are also experiencing issues. We’ve introduced greater flexibility on ba.com for customers travelling today on our short-haul network. This flexibility will enable you to make changes to your booking via Manage My Booking free of charge.”
Norse Atlantic said it is seeing delays at check-in at all airports and its website may not be functioning as normal.
However, Virgin Atlantic said its services are operating as scheduled and advised customers continue with their journey to the airport.
Berlin Brandenburg airport has posted a message on X, saying: “Due to a technical fault, there will be delays in check-in.” In Spain, an “incident” has been reported at all the country’s airports, said the BBC.
A statement from KLM said: “KLM and other airlines and airports have been affected by a global computer outage, making flight handling impossible. We realise that this is very inconvenient for our customers and staff, particularly in the midst of the summer holiday season. We’re working hard to resolve the problem. Until then, we will have to largely suspend operations.”
Turkish Airlines is also affected, reporting problems with ticketing, check-in and reservation processes.
The Telegraph said that cyber security engineers pointed to a problem with Crowdstrike, a piece of antivirus software, which appeared to be causing computers to crash.
It reports the issue mostly seems to be affecting PCs running on Windows 10 software following a security update.
The Sky News channel was off air earlier this morning due to the problems, which are also affecting banks, shops and other railways.
The widespread disruption comes as Friday (July 19) is expected to be the busiest day for flight departures from the UK as schools in England break up for the summer holidays.
Major train operators TransPennine Express and Govia Thameslink Railway – which operates the Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express and Great Northern brands – were also disrupted in the UK, and people at the Port of Dover were told to expect longer waiting times.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of The Advantage Travel Partnership, advised travellers to check the situation before setting off, adding: “Ultimately, the best way to protect yourself when it comes to facing travel disruption is to book with a local travel agent, someone you know you can easily contact and who will be readily available if you need support with your booking whether travelling for business or on holiday.”
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “Global IT systems failures of this magnitude are almost unprecedented.”
He advised travellers: “Keep an eye on communications from your airline, and you may be advised to arrive at the airport early.
“If you can, avoid checking in a bag as queues for check-in at the airport will be long and IT failures typically lead to lots of lost bags.
“As these are extraordinary circumstances, compensation will not be payable for delayed or cancelled flights, but airlines nonetheless have a duty to look after you, including providing meals and accommodation if it becomes necessary. They should also reroute you as quickly as possible, though given the global nature of the problem, this may not be immediately possible.”