Global IT Glitch Cancels Over 4,400 Flights, Delays 40,000

A global technical malfunction led to the cancellation of over 4,400 flights and delays for more than 39,700 flights worldwide by late Friday night.

Initially, data from FlightAware reported the cancellation of more than 3,200 flights and delays of over 29,300 flights globally.

By Friday evening, the total number of delayed flights had reached 39,786, while the number of canceled flights had climbed to 4,417, according to Sputnik News.

US media outlets relayed a statement from Microsoft, attributing the disruptions to an update by CrowdStrike, a global cybersecurity firm, which disrupted several IT systems worldwide. Efforts to resolve the issue are ongoing.

CrowdStrike provides antivirus software for Microsoft and devices operating on its Windows system.

A recorded message from CrowdStrike’s technical support confirmed the company is aware of the reported disruptions affecting Microsoft systems related to its Falcon Sensor software.