Global IT outage: What services are affected in the Midlands?
Flight passengers across the Midlands are being urged to follow the latest advice from their airlines, following an IT outage.
Banks, supermarkets and television broadcasts are reporting issues disrupting services, with some airlines warning of delays and some airports grounding flights.
"This is clearly a rapidly evolving situation"
In a social media post, Birmingham Airport wrote:
"The majority of flights are operating as normal. However, some check ins are experiencing delays which are being processed by colleagues.
"For those that have checked in online previously are unaffected.
"This is clearly a rapidly evolving situation. Customers should follow the advice from airlines and we will continue to update passengers throughout the day".
Some airlines' check-in systems, baggage and security are disrupted, with queues forming at airports across the country.
The outage is impacting airlines at East Midlands Airport, on the busiest getaway day for five years.
The computer outages have delayed passengers heading off on holiday from East Midlands Airport, although it’s said to have fared better than most.
Some passengers said it took "ages" to check-in because their boarding passes had to be handwritten.
It’s the busiest day at the airport in Castle Donington since before the pandemic, with 10,000 incoming and 10,000 outgoing passengers heading to destinations across Europe.
One woman from Nottinghamshire told ITV News Central she was worried she’d miss her daughter’s wedding in France, but the signs were good that she would get away just a bit later than scheduled.
The Airport’s handling agent, Swissport, was affected - they work with most airlines at the site.
Jet2 was said to be unaffected. It’s unclear what the impact may be for incoming flights later today and over the weekend.
The advice is check with your airline, but still come along as normal allowing plenty of time for check-in.
The delays come as many UK schools are about to close their doors for the summer holidays.
The Liberal Democrats have urged the Government to convene a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee to co-ordinate an urgent response. A spokesperson said parliamentary business remains unaffected.
Overnight, IT giant Microsoft confirmed it was investigating an “issue” with its 365 apps and operating systems, and although it said it had recovered some services. It said on X that services are continuing to improve,
The outage has been linked to global cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike, which said it is “aware of reports of crashes on Windows… relating to the Falcon sensor.”
Train travel
Train service information website National Rail Enquiries said there are “widespread IT issues across the entire network”.Among the operators affected are Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway, Southern and Thameslink.National Rail Enquiries told passengers: “There are currently widespread IT issues across the entire network.“IT teams are actively investigating to determine the root cause of the problem.“As a result, some train operators are unable to access driver diagrams at certain locations, leading to potential short-notice train cancellations.“Additionally, other key systems, including real-time customer information platforms, are also affected.”
Health
GPs are experiencing problems accessing some NHS services, and pharmacies have also reported problems.
Staff at a pharmacy in Peterborough are having to prepare prescriptions by hand, after the robotic dispensing system went offline.
The NHS is advising people to attend their appointments unless told otherwise.
Banks and shops
Payment issues have been reported both online and in shops.
Customers reported being unable to pay at coffee chain Gail's and Waitrose, warning online orders and in-store payments were affected.