On Friday, a widespread Microsoft outage caused significant disruptions across various sectors in Andhra Pradesh. The aviation industry was particularly affected, with four flights cancelled and numerous delays reported. Specifically, three flights from Visakhapatnam to Hyderabad and Kolkata were cancelled, along with an Indigo flight from Bengaluru to Vijayawada. At Rajamahendravaram airport, a total of 18 flight services experienced delays, although none were cancelled.
The technical issues also impacted online services for airlines like Indigo and Air India Express, resulting in the inability to issue digital boarding passes. Airport authorities and airline staff worked diligently to manage the situation and minimize inconvenience to passengers.
Beyond aviation, the outage had broader implications, leading to an unexpected day off for software professionals in the Port City of Visakhapatnam. While it provided a brief respite for some, it also necessitated recovery efforts to compensate for the day's productivity loss in the IT sector.
The disruption underscored the challenges faced by industries reliant on uninterrupted digital services and highlighted the importance of robust contingency plans in such situations.