Budapest Airport Affected by Global IT Outage

Hungary Today 2024.07.19.

Due to a global IT failure, the check-in systems of several airlines have stopped working, resulting in flight delays, congestion and significantly increased waiting times at Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport, Budapest Airport said in a press release. Wizz Air also informed the press that its passengers may experience disruptions on the airline’s international network.

Budapest Airport said that the problem at Liszt Ferenc Airport is affecting flights operated by Eurowings, Ryanair, Turkish Airlines and Wizz Air, with several airlines opting to carry out manual check-in. Budapest Airport is informing passengers by means of a voice announcement and providing water to those waiting on the ground.

Fact

Thousands of PCs with Windows system are experiencing today the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) issue at boot affecting banks, airlines, TV broadcasters, supermarkets and many other companies around the world. A buggy code snippet in a virus detection software update is allegedly causing affected PCs and servers to go offline, forcing them into a boot loop. According to The Verge, cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike is the origin of the failure. CrowdStrike is widely used by many businesses worldwide for managing the security of Windows PCs and servers, they write.

Budapest Airport asks departing passengers who have a boarding pass with a barcode or QR code, have checked baggage or are travelling with hand baggage only, to enter Terminal 2A directly and proceed to the security checkpoint. To avoid further congestion, passengers are also asked to enter the terminal building unaccompanied.

According to Wizz Air, like other airlines, they faced an extraordinary technical challenge after the system failure of their international IT partner. “Wizz Air passengers may experience disruptions on the airline’s international network due to the IT system failure,” they wrote in their statement. They added that

Wizz Air’s website and mobile app, the booking system, online check-in and display of boarding pass, new reservations and changes to existing ones, and even the contact and customer service centers are not available.

Wizz Air alerts customers to arrive at the airport at least 3 hours prior to their flight today. pic.twitter.com/YUW3BPYeRp

— Wizz Air (@wizzair) July 19, 2024

They added that airport check-in is free for all passengers during the outage. The airline advises passengers to arrive at the airport at least 3 hours before their scheduled departure to allow sufficient time for check-in and security checks.

Delays at Budapest Airport Linked to Record Passenger and Cargo Traffic

There is a growing chance of breaking the record year of 2019, when passenger numbers exceeded 16.2 million.Continue reading

Via MTI, The Verge; Featured image: Facebook/Budapest Airport