Microsoft Outage: Manual Check-In Takes Pen & Paper Route, IndiGo Flyers Get Handwritten Boarding Pass
A widespread Microsoft server outage on Friday disrupted critical services, including flights. IndiGo faced the challenge by resorting to handwritten boarding passes in the digital age.
A widespread technical issue triggered by a CrowdStrike update brought Microsoft Windows to a grinding halt, leaving millions of computers worldwide stuck in an endless restart cycle. The chaos hit nearly every industry connected to the Microsoft Cloud ecosystem, with IndiGo, India's largest airline, among those affected. But IndiGo refused to let the outage clip its wings. To keep operations running smoothly, the airline resorted to old-school handwritten boarding passes, a rare sight in today's digital age.
Multiple IndiGo passengers posted photos of their handwritten boarding passes issued by IndiGo officials. X user Akshay Kothari, who was flying from Hyderabad to Kolkata, posted a picture of his handwritten boarding pass and said: "The Microsoft / CrowdStrike outage has taken down most airports in India. I got my first hand-written boarding pass today [sic]."
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
Sharing a picture of her 'first handwritten boarding pass', X user Akansha Jain, flying from Bengaluru to Delhi, quipped: "Got my first manual boarding pass just because Microsoft just planned to have an early weekend this time."
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
IndiGo flyer from Lucknow to Uttarakhand Aditya Vikram Singh, too, posted his boarding pass and jumped the cross and tick trend wagon.
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
As airports across India struggled to cope with the Microsoft Azure outage, IndiGo took to social media to reassure passengers. "Our teams are working tirelessly to resolve the issue and restore normalcy," the airline said in a statement. "We appreciate your patience and understanding during this challenging time." The outage had far-reaching consequences, impacting booking, check-in, and flight operations. IndiGo urged customers to bear with them, promising to resolve the issue swiftly.
Other airlines, including Air India, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet, were also hit by the outage, leading to flight cancellations and delays. Air India issued a statement apologising for the inconvenience and advising passengers to plan their travel accordingly.
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