Global Technology Outage Disrupts Canadian Flights and Hospitals

On Friday, a significant technology outage disrupted dozens of Canadian flights and several hospitals across the country. The issue, stemming from a faulty update to computers running Microsoft Windows, had widespread impacts on banks and businesses worldwide.

Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike identified the problem and confirmed that it was not a security incident or cyberattack. The U.S.-based firm explained that the disruption resulted from a defective software update. “We understand the gravity of the situation and are deeply sorry for the inconvenience and disruption,” CrowdStrike stated, assuring that efforts were underway to resolve the issue and restore affected systems.

The aviation sector experienced notable disruptions due to the outage. As of 12:30 p.m. ET, approximately 100 flights scheduled to depart from Canada were canceled, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. This figure excludes inbound flights to Canada.

Porter Airlines faced the most significant impact, canceling 56 flights by midday and suspending all flights until 3 p.m. ET. The airline cited the inability to rebook passengers while systems remained offline.

Toronto Pearson International Airport reported that the third-party IT outage was continuing to affect some airlines, with expectations of a busier-than-normal terminal due to the disruption.

Porter Airlines expressed their challenges in a statement: “Passengers cannot be rebooked while systems are offline.” Similarly, Air Canada reported no “major impact” but was monitoring the situation closely. WestJet anticipated delays across its network but clarified that there was no direct impact on its IT systems or operations related to the CrowdStrike outage.

The Calgary Airport Authority also anticipated some delays and cancellations but noted minimal impact so far. Vancouver International Airport acknowledged that some flights were affected by the outage.

NAV Canada, the country’s air navigation service provider, confirmed that its systems were unaffected and emphasized collaboration with industry partners to support operations and passengers.

The outage’s effects extended beyond aviation. DownDetector, a platform tracking user-reported internet service disruptions, recorded impacts on airlines, payment platforms, and online shopping websites globally. These disruptions appeared inconsistent, likely influenced by the reliance on Microsoft cloud-based services by the affected companies.

CrowdStrike reassured that Mac and Linux systems were not impacted, highlighting the selective nature of the disruption. The company provides cybersecurity services to thousands of clients worldwide, underscoring the extensive reach of the incident.

The global technology outage caused by a faulty Microsoft Windows update led to significant disruptions in Canada’s aviation sector and several hospitals, among other businesses worldwide. While the issue is being resolved, it serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities in our interconnected digital infrastructure and the critical importance of robust cybersecurity measures.