CrowdStrike update grounds thousands of flights

On July 19, a faulty update from CrowdStrike’s Falcon cybersecurity software caused widespread “Blue Screen of Death” (BSOD) errors on millions of Microsoft Windows devices, severely impacting many industries including air travel. The incident highlights the risks inherent in centralized systems and underscores the potential threats posed by malicious actors.

What you will learn:

• The incident led to significant flight cancellations globally, resulting in over 10,000 cancellations and affecting over an estimated 1.4mn passengers over the three days since the incident.
• Atlanta’s airport was the most affected, with over 20% of flights canceled between July 19th and 21st, while other major airports such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Los Angeles, Istanbul, and JFK also faced notable disruptions.
• Delta is still struggling to return to full operations, though most airports and airlines have largely resumed normal activities. Still, further disruptions may occur as cancellations and delays continue to percolate through the system.