Global computer system crash causes delays at Spanish airports

Aena airports manager has issued a warning of potential delays due to a network-wide system failure

Airports around the world are experiencing significant disruptions this Friday, July 19, due to a massive computer systems failure which is affecting check-in operations and passenger information systems.

Ryanair, Europe’s largest low-cost airline, described the incident as a “worldwide blackout”, suggesting extensive delays. As the day began, the failure had reached Aena’s systems, threatening a day of chaos at Spanish airports.

Other European airports, such as Berlin in Germany and Edinburgh in the UK, have also issued alerts about the disruptions.

The systems failure is affecting check-in and passenger information networks, rendering flight information screens in airport terminals useless.

As a result, boarding was being managed manually, significantly increasing the risk of departure delays. Airlines including Iberia and Air Europa used their social media channels to share Aena’s communications about the incident.

It comes at a particularly bad time as this Friday was expected to be especially busy at major Spanish airports like Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat, as well as airports in the Levante region and the islands, with people travelling for their summer holidays.

Aena has stated that its teams are working hard to resolve the issue but could not provide a timeline for a return to normal operations. Complaints from passengers began to flood social media as the morning progressed.

By 9am, Aena reported that some systems were operating in contingency mode. By 10.30am, the company referred to a “global IT incident affecting companies worldwide”. While the airports continued to operate, Aena acknowledged that some processes were slower than usual.

By midday, they released a statement saying, “All airports in the network in Spain are operational and flights are being operated in cooperation with the airlines. The day’s schedule is being adhered to, albeit with some delays. Some airlines are rescheduling their operations. During the early hours of the morning, contingency systems were activated and some processes were managed manually to maintain operations.

“Both departure and arrival operations are taking place with delays, but these are increasingly infrequent.”

The computer failure also reportedly extended beyond aviation, impacting transport infrastructures in other countries, airlines, banks, payment systems, emergency services and even public administrations.

However, the Spanish railway system, managed by Adif, was reportedly operating normally in the early hours of the morning.

What has caused the computer crash?

Specialised media and the website Downdetector, which monitors computer interruptions, indicated a generalised failure of Microsoft Windows, potentially linked to an update of CrowdStrike’s antivirus software.

This update, used by many large corporations, appears to have caused widespread issues. Microsoft Azure, the cloud computing platform, confirmed that it was experiencing problems affecting “service management operations and connectivity or availability of services”.

Aena likely executed the antivirus update during the early hours of the night, coinciding with similar updates in diverse locations such as the United States and the UK.

In the US, major airlines including Delta, United and American Airlines halted operations and grounded planes due to communication problems, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Microsoft Azure’s failure impacted various sectors, highlighting the extensive reach of the incident.

Airport passengers and anyone else who believes they may be affected by the crash are advised to stay updated through official channels.

Image: Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport