Software update causes global IT outage, leads to grounded flights

A mass global outage has disrupted various businesses, including banks, airlines, train companies, telecommunications firms, broadcasters, and supermarkets, BBC reported Friday.

Major U.S. airlines such as American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL), Delta Airlines (NYSE:DAL), and United Airlines (UAL). have been grounded, while airports in Germany, Amsterdam, and Spain are also experiencing issues.

Reports suggested that the outage has affected devices running on Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows operating systems.

“We're aware of an issue affecting Windows devices due to an update from a third-party software platform. We anticipate a resolution is forthcoming," a Microsoft spokesperson said.

Later reports revealed that the issue had been caused by a content update released by CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD), a company providing cybersecurity solutions.

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz said the update has caused a "defect" for Windows hosts.

"Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack," Kurtz said in a statement.

"The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed," he added.

"We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website.

CRWD shares plunged more than 16% in premarket trading Friday. Microsoft stock dropped 2%.

The outage has affected several locations in Europe as well.

Ryanair, Europe's largest airline by passenger numbers, warned customers of potential disruptions affecting "all airlines operating across the network," though it did not specify the nature of these disruptions.

At Edinburgh Airport, passengers were unable to use automated boarding pass scanners, and monitors at security displayed a "server offline" message. The airport reverted to manual boarding pass checks, according to a Reuters witness.