Global Microsoft outage: Air passengers frustrated, receive written boarding passes

A massive outage of Microsoft services, specifically Azure, had disrupted flight operations worldwide. This technical glitch has left passengers stranded and frustrated, leading to delays and cancellations across major airlines. The incident has forced airports to revert to manual processes, including the issuance of handwritten boarding passes.

At Goa Airport, a passenger bound for Delhi shared his experience, saying, "My flight was from Goa to Delhi, and there was a delay due to server issues. They gave us a boarding pass, made by hand, with our names spelled wrong. I was standing in the line for about two hours to get the pass." This sentiment was echoed by many travelers who faced similar inconveniences.

One user took to his X account to highlight the unusual situation. He posted a photo of his handwritten boarding pass, stating, "The Microsoft / CrowdStrike outage has taken down most airports in India. I got my first hand-written boarding pass today."

Passengers and airport staff alike have expressed their frustration with the outage. At Gujarat Airport, a passenger spoke to ANI, emphasizing the reliance on digital systems. "We are used to the digital world now. We cannot work without it. We are completely dependent on digital systems. This crash will impact us on a large scale. It is important to resolve this issue quickly."

In Rajasthan, a SpiceJet flight attendant described the chaotic scenes. "Systems are still not up. Flights are also getting delayed, and passengers are also facing problems. We wrote everything manually. There was a huge crowd. We issued manual boarding passes, but we managed."

The outage has not only affected passengers but also the overall efficiency of airport operations.