- Microsoft outage hits travel businesses.
- SpiceJet cancels three flights and delays two.
- Hotels report email and communication problems.
The problems began on Thursday, when users reported difficulty accessing Outlook, Reuters reported. The disruption continued into Friday, affecting users in several countries and territories. Within about an hour, outage tracker Downdetector had recorded reports from 74 countries and territories.
Microsoft initially said the issue was affecting users in the Americas but later confirmed that customers in any region could be affected. The outage disrupted Outlook, Teams, Copilot and other Microsoft 365 services. Users reported problems accessing email, sending and receiving messages and connecting to workplace applications.
Airlines and hotels affected
Indian airlines reported different levels of disruption. IndiGo's email support was affected, and the airline warned that it might not receive customer messages. Passengers needing urgent assistance were directed to use its 6E Skai virtual assistant through the website or mobile app, while other support channels remained available.
Akasa Air also experienced delays in email support and might not have received some messages. The airline directed passengers to its 24-hour customer care center or social media channels. Air India avoided disruption to its flight operations and communication channels by temporarily rerouting its email traffic. It continued to respond to customer emails within its usual 24-hour timeline.
SpiceJet canceled three flights from Delhi on Friday morning and delayed two others because of the technical problems. Delhi Airport advised passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport, NDTV reported.
The disruption also affected hotel companies. ITC Hotels Ltd. noted in an Instagram post that some of its communication channels could be temporarily affected. MGM Resorts International reported that its email service was down, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. At Central Station Hotel, a boutique hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, the outage disrupted communication between the outgoing and incoming management companies during a management transition, WREG reported. Guest services at the property continued without disruption.
On Friday, Microsoft reported early signs of stabilization, although system capacity remained below normal. It extended the email timeout window to 48 hours to protect delayed messages and said there was no indication of a cyberattack.
In August, Microsoft warned businesses about a global hacking campaign targeting travelers through compromised hotel Wi-Fi networks to steal login credentials and install malware.
