Ryanair is asking passengers whose flights have been cancelled due to a global IT outage to leave the airport and return home.
British airports have been thrown into chaos after a problem with a Microsoft Windows update sparked a global IT outage. The chief executive of cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said a “bug” related to a software update was the cause of the outage and that it was “not a security incident or cyberattack”.
Long queues have formed at airports such as Manchester, Gatwick, Luton and Edinburgh after numerous flights were cancelled and airlines switched to manual check-in. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said 1,396 flights were cancelled worldwide, including 43 flights from the UK.
READ MORE: New warning to holidaymakers in light of global IT outage chaos
Ryanair issued a statement today asking passengers to arrive for their flights on time to avoid disruption. In a new statement this afternoon, the airline asked anyone whose flight was cancelled to leave the airport as it was unable to provide “any assistance” to passengers.
The airline said: “Unfortunately, we have been forced to cancel a small number of flights today due to this global third-party IT outage. Affected passengers have been notified and are asked to log into their myRyanair account once systems are back online to see their options.
“A full list of cancellations is available (on the website). If your flight has been cancelled, we ask that you please leave the airport as we are currently unable to assist passengers at the airport due to the IT outage.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by this global third-party IT outage and are working hard to minimize disruption and keep passengers updated.”
Passengers flying today are being advised to avoid checking baggage if possible. Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel magazine, said passengers were “naturally deeply concerned” and offered advice to anyone flying into a UK airport.
He said: “If possible, avoid checking a bag as check-in queues at the airport will be long and IT outages typically result in a lot of baggage being lost. If you do check baggage, make sure you carry medication, keys and other essentials in your hand luggage.”
He said passengers were not entitled to compensation for delayed or cancelled flights due to “extraordinary circumstances”, but airlines had a duty to look after them, including providing meals, accommodation and, if necessary, alternative flight bookings.
