Dubai International Airport (DXB) experienced on Friday a global system outage that temporarily affected the CrowdStrike-linked check-in process for some airlines operating in Terminals 1 and 2. However, Dubai Airports has confirmed that the airport is now operating normally.
According to a Dubai Airports spokesperson: “Dubai Airports confirms that Dubai International (DXB) is operating normally following a global system outage that affected the check-in process for some airlines in Terminals 1 and 2 this morning. The affected airlines promptly switched to an alternate system, allowing normal check-in operations to resume swiftly.”
Flydubai unaffected by outage
Additionally, a flydubai spokesperson reported that the technical issue did not affect the airline’s services and that it continues to monitor the situation closely.
Widespread software failure disrupts critical infrastructure
The global system outage appears to be part of a widespread software failure that has impacted critical infrastructure and services worldwide, including emergency services, banks, and airports. Reports indicate that the issue is related to software from the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, causing Microsoft Windows machines to fail to boot and leading to widespread disruptions.
We’re now back to operating normally following a global system outage that affected the check-in process for some airlines in Terminals 1 and 2 this morning.
The affected airlines promptly switched to an alternate system, allowing normal check-in operations to resume swiftly.
— DXB (@DXB) July 19, 2024
Flights grounded, banking services affected
Flights are being grounded at airports across the world due to the inability to access essential systems, and online banking services are also affected, with customers unable to log in or conduct transactions. Some broadcasters, such as Sky News in the U.K., have reported being taken off the air due to the technical issues.
Read more: Widespread Microsoft outage cripples airports, businesses after CrowdStrike glitch
Cause of outage under investigation
It is not yet clear whether this is the result of a cyberattack or some other software failure. Unconfirmed reports suggest that CrowdStrike’s support engineers have acknowledged the problem is with the company’s software and that they are working to revert a recent update that appears to have caused the issue.
The situation continues to evolve, and authorities are likely working to investigate the root cause and implement measures to restore the affected systems and services.
For more news on logistics, click here.
