Microsoft Outage Grounds Hong Kong Airport, Passengers Face Manual Check-In

Hong Kong: A widespread failure of Microsoft computer systems has led to severe disruptions at Hong Kong International Airport, resulting in chaos and a shift to manual check-in procedures for passengers. While the Airport Authority confirmed that flight operations remain unaffected by the incident, airlines have been forced to implement manual check-in processes to manage the situation effectively.

The authority has activated its emergency response mechanism to address the ongoing issue and is urging travellers to arrive at the airport with ample time for check-in while staying informed about the latest updates. 

The system breakdown has also impacted several airline websites. HK Express' site was reported as inaccessible, while Cathay Pacific Airways' website, though operational, displayed a “service unavailable - zero size object” error when users attempted to book tickets.

Microsoft Global Outage

Microsoft users globally have reported massive outages in services, with outage tracking website Downdetector showing users flagging disruptions across various services. Globally, the Microsoft cloud outage led to US airlines cancelling flights, but the tech giant later reportedly said its cloud services outage in the Central US region has been resolved.

A new Crowdstrike (cybersecurity software firm) update is being cited as the cause of the outage, which has impacted Windows-based desktops and laptops. 

Microsoft, crowdstrike and Windows are trending on X (formerly Twitter). On the outage tracking website Downdetector, users reported problems across the Microsoft line-up including Azure, and Teams.

Microsoft said it is investigating the issue "impacting users ability to access various Microsoft 365 apps and services". "Our services are still seeing continuous improvements while we continue to take mitigation actions," according to Microsoft 365 Status post on X.

The glitch is causing users to see the Blue Screen of Death error messages, and there are widespread reports of disruptions in international airlines, banks and media outlets.  "Blue screen of death reported at multiple companies - Crowd Strike attack. Are you also facing ??," wrote a user on X.