Microsoft outage: Indigo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet and more Indian airlines face disruptions; airlines, airports adopt 'manual' mode

Major Indian airlines, including IndiGo, SpiceJet, Air India, Vistara are experiencing significant disruptions due to an ongoing issue with Microsoft Azure, the cloud computing platform that powers many of their critical systems. Passengers are facing increased wait times, slower check-ins, and longer queues at airports and contact centres.

In a travel advisory posted online, IndiGo acknowledged the disruption, stating: “Our systems across the network are impacted by an ongoing issue with Microsoft Azure, which has resulted in increased wait times at our contact centres and airports. You may experience slower check-ins and longer queues.”

The airline assured passengers that its teams are working diligently to restore normalcy, adding: “We are all hands-on deck and are working relentlessly to restore stability and normalcy. Our digital team is also coordinating closely with Microsoft Azure to resolve these issues swiftly.”

While IndiGo did not explicitly confirm flight cancellations or delays, the widespread system disruptions are likely to impact flight schedules, potentially leading to cascading delays and frustrated passengers.

This situation echoes the recent chaos experienced by several US airlines due to a similar Microsoft Azure outage. Frontier Airlines, Allegiant, and Sun Country were among the carriers severely impacted, resulting in hundreds of flight cancellations and delays.

The repeated failures of Microsoft Azure, a platform relied upon by numerous airlines globally, highlight the vulnerability of critical aviation infrastructure to cloud service disruptions. As airlines increasingly depend on cloud computing for essential operations, the potential for widespread travel disruptions due to such outages remains a serious concern.

IndiGo concluded its travel advisory by requesting patience from its customers: “We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.”

SpiceJet said in a statement: "We are currently experiencing technical challenges with our service provider, affecting online services including booking, check-in, and manage booking functionalities. As a result, we have activated manual check-in and boarding processes across airports. We kindly request passengers with upcoming travel plans to arrive at the airport earlier than usual to complete check-in at our counters. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may cause and assure you that our teams are diligently working with our service provider to resolve these issues promptly. Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this time."

In an advisory, Air India said its digital systems have been impacted temporarily due to the current Microsoft outage resulting in delays.

Another Tata Group airline Vistara also alerted its passengers of both domestic and international flights of disruptions from the global outage.  

Airlines, airports adopt 'manual' mode

Airports across the country have adopted 'manual mode' to tide over the crisis temporarily. IndiGo, SpiceJet and Akasa saw disruptions in their online check-in and boarding processes across their networks, forcing them to switch to manual mode. Mumbai, Delhi, Bhubaneshwar airports and others across the country are handing out boarding passes manually.

Other airlines and airports across have also adopted the 'manual' mode. Hong Kong, Singapore, airports across Europe, US have switched to manual clearance until the systems are restored to working condition.