Microsoft Outage: IndiGo Issues Handwritten Boarding Passes, Passenger’s Post Goes Viral

Image Credit: @akothari/X

New Delhi: After a global outage affecting Microsoft's cloud services, airports across India are facing unexpected flight delays. Passengers have taken to social media to share their experiences, posting images of handwritten boarding passes being issued due to the disruption. This unforeseen issue has caused several inconveniences for travellers nationwide.

In response to the outage, IndiGo has started using handwritten boarding passes to keep flights running smoothly. Akshay Kothari, a passenger at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, shared his experience on X (formerly Twitter).

The Microsoft / CrowdStrike outage has taken down most airports in India. I got my first hand-written boarding pass today  pic.twitter.com/xsdnq1Pgjr

— Akshay Kothari (@akothari) July 19, 2024

“The Microsoft/CrowdStrike outage has taken down most airports in India. I got my first handwritten boarding pass today,” he shared a photo of his manually issued boarding pass along with his post.

The switch from digital systems sparked a variety of responses on social media. One comment noted, “Wow back to pen paper.” Another remarked, “Sometimes, the old-school way is still the best when technology lets us down.”

Indigo's Response

#6ETravelAdvisory : As systems are impacted globally due to ongoing issues with Microsoft Azure, we kindly request you to refrain from making multiple booking attempts during this time. We are working closely with Microsoft to resolve the issue and appreciate your patience.

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) July 19, 2024

Hi, we're facing a network-wide issue with Microsoft Azure, causing delays at airports. Check-ins may be slower and queues longer. Our Digital team is working with Microsoft to resolve this swiftly. For assistance, please reach out to our on-ground team. Thanks for your patience.

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) July 19, 2024

IndiGo issued a statement addressing the widespread disruption. “Our systems across the network are impacted by an ongoing issue with Microsoft Azure, resulting in increased wait times at our contact centres and airports,” the airline said. They advised passengers to expect slower check-ins and longer queues and urged those travelling within the next 24 hours to contact them only if necessary.

The outage also impacted other airlines, including Air India, Vistara, and SpiceJet, leading to flight cancellations and delays.

Response from Government and Industry

Indian Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that the IT ministry is working with Microsoft to resolve the outage. He stated, "MEITY is in touch with Microsoft and its associates regarding the global outage. NIC network is not affected."

MEITY is in touch with Microsoft and its associates regarding the global outage.

The reason for this outage has been identified and updates have been released to resolve the issue.

CERT is issuing a technical advisory.

NIC network is not affected.

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) July 19, 2024