ATLANTA — Flight delays and cancelations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport continued on Sunday morning following a widespread cyber outage; other systems were also impacted.
There were still crowds at the Atlanta Airport on Saturday after several airlines released statements saying that Friday's CrowdStrike outage was impacting their systems. Flyers also stated on Friday that their airline apps were not updating to show them their flights were delayed or canceled.
Officials said while Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport's systems were not directly impacted by the CrowdStrike, some of its airline partners were, and they are working to provide support as needed.
Updates on cyber outage
Sunday, July 21
11:50 a.m. | Delta Airlines has issued the following statement regarding its continuous restoration of services following Friday's cyber outage:
Delta continued its operational recovery Sunday following an outside vendor technology issue that prompted the airline and many others to pause flying for several hours on Friday.
Delta is communicating directly with significantly impacted customers via email Sunday, offering an acknowledgment of the disruption, an apology and the issuance of SkyMiles Program miles or a travel voucher. Guidance for submitting eligible unexpected expenses due to the disruption for reimbursement was included in that email.
Across the operation, Delta teams in airports, on board flights, on phones and in messaging channels were working tirelessly to care for customers as the airline worked to put flight crews and aircraft back in position following the disruption.
We’re sorry for this inconvenience – canceling a flight is always our last resort and isn’t taken lightly. Delta takes seriously the trust placed in us to deliver the reliability and experiences customers have come to know and expect from us. That’s why we’re working to make it right for our customers, starting with these steps:
- Extending a travel waiver. Delta extended a travel waiver for all customers with travel booked from July 19-21. The waiver offers customers the ability to make a one-time change to their itinerary. The fare difference for customers will be waived when rebooked travel occurs on or before July 26, in the same cabin of service as originally booked. Customers are encouraged to manage changes to their travel via delta.com or the Fly Delta app.
- Reaching out to customers about cancellations and re-booking options. Delta is notifying customers about delays and cancellations in their itinerary via the Fly Delta app and text message, and offering re-booking options that can be managed online.
- While customers can monitor and manage their itineraries on Delta.com or on the Fly Delta app, these online tools have been inundated with traffic, causing intermittent performance challenges. Delta teams are working to stabilize those tools. Also note that our ability to respond to service messages on social media platforms such as X are limited.
- Issuing SkyMiles Program miles or a travel voucher in an amount based on the customer’s affected travels.
Covering eligible expenses resulting from this flight disruption, including providing:
- Meal vouchers, hotel accommodations where available, and ground transportation are being provided to impacted customers.
- Reimbursement of eligible expenses. Customers who have incurred hotel, meal or ground transportation expenses while in transit during this operational disruption may submit eligible expenses for reimbursement.*
- *Delta does not reimburse prepaid expenses, including but not limited to hotel reservations at the customer’s destination, vacation experiences, lost wages, concerts or other tickets.
11:23 a.m. | According to FlightAware, the outage has resulted in over 500 flight delays and over 300 cancelations.
10:17 a.m. | Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) released the following statement regarding operations following the cyber outage:
ATL is working with its airline partners as their systems return to normal. Although airport-operated systems were not impacted, we are providing support to passengers and employees throughout the facility. ATL has implemented its 24-hour concessions crisis plan, ensuring every concourse has concessions available 24/7. We’ve provided assistance and guidance to passengers spending the night in the airport, and we’re collaborating with our airlines to create space for luggage reunification areas. We suggest passengers follow their airline social media and messaging apps for updates, they monitor ATL.com for parking, security, and concessions options, and they seek out green-coated ATL guest services representatives for airport-related information.
9:00 a.m. | Over 200 flights have now been canceled, with over 100 delayed, according to FlightAware.
7:00 a.m. | According to FlightAware, the outage has resulted in over 70 flight delays and over 170 flight cancelations at the airport on Sunday so far.
Saturday, July 20
2:47 p.m. | MARTA said they had restored service to their digital signs. Bus and rail service was not impacted.
2:04 p.m. | Update from MARTA:
"Due to the global Microsoft technology outage, the digital signs in MARTA rail stations are unavailable. MARTA’s website, real-time service information, Breeze Mobile app, and online fare purchases have been restored to full functionality. A reminder that bus and rail service is not impacted."
1:44 p.m. | A spokesperson from the Atalnta Airport sent in some tips to help passengers:
- Remain informed: follow the airline’s social media channels and download the airline’s app for the latest information.
- Follow ATL’s social media channels and monitor our website for parking, Security wait times, and concessions options.
- Keep vital materials, specifically prescribed medicines, in carry-ons for access should luggage be delayed.
- Have patience.
12:46 p.m. | MARTA said some of its display signs are down and that its tech department is still working to reach complete restoration.
10:30 a.m. | Georgia Department of Revenue said it's DRIVES and GTC is back up and running following the outage,
" Customers looking to renew their tag, apply for an alcohol license, make a sales tax payment, or utilize another e-service can log into their accounts. Thank you for your patience," the department said in part on X.
10 a.m. | Delta Airlines confirmed it's still experiencing issues due to the outage.
It said that as of 10 a.m. Saturday, more than 600 Delta and Delta Connection flights had been canceled, mostly in the morning and early afternoon.
"Additional cancelations are expected as some of Delta’s technology continues to recover from Friday morning’s vendor-caused issue," the airline said.
Customers are being notified via the Fly Delta app and text messages, and travelers are being offered re-booking options.
7 a.m. | 11Alive Reporter Erica Murphy reported live from the airport Saturday morning, describing the scene at the Delta Airlines South Terminal, where some passengers had been waiting for nearly three hours without seeing a desk agent. The kiosks were also down, preventing people from printing boarding passes, and many screens displayed the blue screen of death, indicating ongoing technology issues.
According to FlightAware, the outage has resulted in 89 flight delays and 253 flight cancellations at the airport on Saturday so far.
Friday, July 19
9 p.m. | According to FlightAware, there have been a total of 1,051 flight delays and 746 cancellations at the Atlanta airport as of 9 p.m. on Friday.
7 p.m. | FlightAware shows the total number of flight delays at Hartsfield-Jackson has increased to 981, and there have been 718 cancellations as of 7 p.m. on Friday.
6 p.m. | Online tracking service FlightAware reports so far, there have been 938 delays and 679 cancellations at the Atlanta airport as of 6 p.m. on Friday.
11Alive's Doug Richards spoke with travelers at the Atlanta airport about the frustrations the outage has caused throughout the day.
5:30 p.m | Some metro Atlanta hospitals had to delay procedures, and medical offices couldn't access electronic records or order lab tests and prescriptions. 11Alive's Erica Murphy spoke with OBGYN Dr. Sujatha Reddy about the challenges from the outage:
5:15 p.m. | 11Alive's Molly Oak has the latest on how the outage is impacting banks across Atlanta and around the globe:
5:05 p.m. | A lot of people didn't know what CrowdStrike was until Friday morning, but we're seeing just how many businesses, facilities and government agencies rely on it. 11Alive's Bobeth Yates spoke with a tech expert who provided more insight into how the outage happened.
5 p.m. | According to the online tracking service FlightAware, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport shows an average of 30-minute delays and decreasing for departure flights. As of 5 p.m., there have been a total of 921 flight delays and 640 so far at the Atlanta airport so far on Friday.
3:45 p.m. | On Friday afternoon, Delta provided another update, saying that more than 1,200 Delta mainline and Delta Connection flights had been canceled due to the outage so far.
"We’re sorry for this inconvenience – canceling a flight is always our last resort and isn’t taken lightly," Delta said in the update. "Delta takes seriously the trust placed in us to deliver the reliability and experiences customers have come to know and expect from us."
The airline said it's currently taking the following steps:
- Issuing travel waivers
- Reaching out to customers about cancellations and re-booking
- Covering meals and accommodations
3:20 p.m. | Henry County officials said they have not had any major issues and no internal systems were impacted by the outage at this time.
"Much like other municipalities, several of our departments experienced intermittent outages this morning, however only our Tax Commissioner’s office remains offline," a county spokesperson said in a statement.
3 p.m. | State Farm Arena is advising people to add their tickets and parking passes to their mobile wallets as soon as possible due to the technology outage.
2:15 p.m. | As a reminder, Delta said it has resumed some flight departures after a vendor technology issue-- although additional delays and cancelations are still expected.
Delta has issued a travel waiver for all customers who booked flights on Friday, July 19. This waiver allows customers to manage their own travel changes.
"The fare difference for customers will be waived when rebooked travel occurs on or before July 24, in the same cabin of service as originally booked. If travel is rebooked after July 24, any difference in fare between the original ticket and the new ticket will be collected at the time of booking," Delta said in a statement.
2 p.m. | According to the online tracking service FlightAware, so far, there have been more than 700 flight delays at the Atlanta airport -- with around 550 flight cancellations. Currently, FlightAware is reporting an average of 59-minute delays for departure flights at Hartsfield-Jackosn.
12:31 p.m. | Hartsfield-Jackson airport officials provided an update saying the technology issue did not impact its systems. However, some airline partners were impacted, and officials are working to provide support as needed.
11:20 a.m. | We're now hearing about the full scope of the impact on Georgia state agencies. The Georgia Technology Authority said:
"GTA was alerted overnight to a global issue with CrowdStrike, a tool used to protect many state systems from cyber intrusions. CrowdStrike has attributed the issue to a flawed system update applied just after midnight and removed approximately 90 minutes later.
Our teams and technicians immediately began assessing the potential impact on state systems. We are working closely with CrowdStrike, other IT service providers and state agencies to identify and resolve problems. State agencies affected include DBHDD (Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities), DCH (Department of Community Health), DDS (Department of Driver Services), DHS (Department of Human Services), DOR (Department of Revenue), DPH (Department of Public Health), GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation), GDC (Department of Corrections), GTA, and SAO (State Accounting Office). GTA’s Office of Information Security continues to evaluate the impact on other state agencies.
Our IT service providers are working to remediate issues with servers and end user devices. We remain in contact with CrowdStrike regarding timing for complete service restoration, recommended action or further developments."
11:15 a.m. | Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has also issued a statement, saying: "Despite global Microsoft outages, City systems and operations remain mostly unaffected. While some airlines experienced issues, flights are resuming. Thank you for your patience. We're in contact with impacted hospitals and ready to support."
11:12 a.m. | New statement from CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz:
11:00 a.m. | The Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security also posted this:
10:50 a.m. | Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's office said a state command center has been set up:
"The state responded immediately as soon as issues were noticed. We are working closely with affected agencies and in constant communication with them until the issue is resolved. The Georgia Technology Authority has set up a command center to coordinate response. Further inquiries can be directed to GTA."
8:55 a.m. | MARTA posted on X that due to the outage, real-time service info is unavailable at http://itsmarta.com and http://breezecard.com. MARTA said bus, rail and streetcar services are operating and to subscribe to service alerts here.
8:33 a.m. | Grady Memorial Hospital said it did experience some minor interruptions but is not experiencing any significant impact currently.
8:30 a.m. | The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said a few computers are down, but it's not affecting its operations or emergency response.
7:53 a.m. | Delta Airlines said that some of their flight departures have resumed following the cyber outage caused by a third-party vendor.
7:33 a.m. | Georgia Department of Revenue reports issues on X.
7:32 a.m. | Reports from CNN Microsoft said the “underlying cause” that caused the global outage “has been fixed,” adding that residual impact is still affecting some services.
“The underlying cause has been fixed, however, residual impact is continuing to affect some Microsoft 365 apps and services,” Microsoft said in a post on X Friday.
“We’re conducting additional mitigations to provide relief,” the post added.
7:30 a.m. | Update from Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency said they were not impacted.
6:50 a.m. | Kennesaw Police Department said it's experiencing issues with its systems due to the outage. There's no information about what exactly is being impacted at the department.
6:45 a.m. | United Airlines issues waiver to change flights due to cyber outage. Delta Airlines said it's working to create the same waiver, and it would be available on Delta.com.
X Post from United Airlines
X post from Delta
6:41 a.m. | According to AP News Paris Olympics organizers, some Olympic delegations’ arrivals have been delayed because of the outage, as well as the delivery of uniforms and accreditations. The torch relay has not been impacted: ''Our teams have been fully mobilized to ensure the continuity of operations at optimum levels,’' it said.
6 a.m. | Update from CrowdStrike
5:45 a.m. | American Airlines said it is back up and running as of 5 a.m.
5:40 a.m. | FAA Statement
This statement is preliminary and subject to change.
The FAA is closely monitoring a technical issue impacting IT systems at U.S. airlines. Several airlines have requested FAA assistance with ground stops for their fleets until the issue is resolved. For more information, monitor fly.faa.gov for updates.
5:30 a.m. | 11Alive on-air update:
5:20 a.m | Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Management Agency said it's aware of the cyber outage and is monitoring the issues.
5:08 a.m | An NYT reporter trying to fly to Atlanta is currently stuck in the Seoul airport due to the cyber outage.
4 a.m. | Several airlines have released statements stating that the CrowdStrike outage is impacting their systems. Crowds are building at the Atlanta Airport, with flyers stating that their airline apps are also not updating to show them their flights were delayed or canceled.
Aside from airlines, other technical systems worldwide are experiencing issues, such as Bank ATMs, TV stations, warehouses and more.
Reports from the New York Times said that representatives for CrowdStrike did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. Microsoft also declined to comment. Microsoft said the problem had affected multiple customer systems in the central United States.
Outages have been reported at these companies, according to Downdetector:
- Delta
- American Airlines
- United Airlines
- Visa
- Amazon
- ADT Security
Check back for more updates.
About the cyber outage
Microsoft users, including banks and airlines, experienced widespread outages on Friday, shortly after Microsoft began addressing issues affecting access to Microsoft 365 apps and services. American Airlines and other carriers, including United and Delta, grounded flights due to a technical issue with CrowdStrike. The FAA confirmed Allegiant flights were also grounded. DownDetector reported outages at Visa, ADT, Amazon, and various airlines. Disruptions affected UK airlines, railways, and TV stations, with Ryanair advising early airport arrivals. Australian airports saw long lines as check-in services failed, and significant delays were reported at major European airports like Schiphol and Berlin. The outages also impacted Australian banks, phone providers, and news outlets, with some journalists broadcasting from dark offices due to computer failures. New Zealand banks ASB and Kiwibank also reported service disruptions.
