Flights resume at Philadelphia International Airport following tech outage; city services remain open but some with limitations
A tech outage centered on Microsoft grounded flights, knocked banks offline and media outlets off the air on Friday.
![A monitor with a blue screen read, “Recovery, It looks like Windows didn’t load correctly"at the Philadelphia International Airport Friday.](https://www.inquirer.com/resizer/YZfcJ0yUWS7w637coy-nQTCkPVk=/760x507/smart/filters:format(webp)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/IRRCV4MDUJF45PVFI6IX37C46I.jpg)
A global tech outage centered on Microsoft is impacting IT systems around the world, including here in Philadelphia.
The outage disrupted a mix of entities, including airlines, banks, railways, and hospitals.
By Friday afternoon, all impacted airlines at PHL had resumed operations. All Philadelphia city services were in operation, though some in a more limited capacity, officials said.
Microsoft said in a statement it’s aware of the issue, which stems from a problem with the cybersecurity platform, CrowdStrike.
Prepare for lingering problems from the global computer meltdown
Chuck Herrin, an executive with digital security firm F5 Inc., was in Manila on Friday when his airline told him a technology outage meant his flight back to the United States had been canceled.
Herrin then asked his hotel to extend his reservation — but it couldn’t because its computer system was crippled, too.
Key cards at Old City hotel not working amid outage, guest says
Key cards at the Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District in Old City were not working on Friday, forcing staff to escort guests to access their rooms or to use the elevators, one guest said.
Bill Snooks, 44, of Pittsfield, Mass., said he checked in Friday afternoon and quickly discovered that his key and then a replacement key were not working.
Minor impact of outage in Limerick Township resolved, official says
Limerick Township, home to more than 20,000 people in Montgomery County, was impacted by the technology outage when its employee portal was inaccessible for a few hours this morning, Township Manager Daniel Kerr said. The issue has been resolved.
— Layla A. Jones
At PHL, outage issues left some travelers 'very anxious,' while others were 'a little annoyed'
Melissa Clineff, was originally supposed to get on a flight to Orlando on Thursday evening to head to a family funeral. Her Frontier flight around 6:18 p.m. kept getting delayed up until 10pm and then was finally cancelled, she says.
She didn’t leave the airport until about 11:30 p.m. on Thursday evening and was back at the airport around 12:30 p.m. on Friday for a rebooked flight at 3:10p.m.
Some city health centers experiencing delays due to outage but remain open
Some City of Philadelphia public health centers are experiencing operational delays as a result of the outage but remain open, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said during a news conference Friday.
Some providers are conducting visits virtually, she said. Parker said patients should call the health center before their airport to ensure they can receive services.
All city services remain in operation despite outage, but some with limitations, officials say
Philadelphia city employee systems were “completely inoperable” Friday morning as a result of the outage, city officials said, but public safety systems such as 911 remained up and running throughout the disruption.
During a briefing with city officials, Chief Information Officer Melissa Scott said Friday they were notified at about 2:30 a.m. of a planned antivirus software rollout by CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity firm. She said every server and computer that was powered up at that time was affected by the outage, and when employees opened their computers, they were met with an error screen.
NJDOT seeing minor impacts from outage, spokesperson says
Traffic signals run by the New Jersey Department of Transportation are fully operational, unaffected but Friday’s global tech outage, a department spokesperson said. Some of the department’s fuel pumps, however, are not working, the spokesperson said.
“Some of the Department’s fuel pumps were affected, however the majority are operational, and the others are being restored,” said Steve Schapiro, department spokesperson. “NJDOT is continuing to evaluate how our systems have been affected by the Global IT issue with priority being given to systems that relate to public safety.”
Amid tech outages, Penn Medicine has limited access to patient records and is canceling appointments
Penn Medicine physicians had limited access to patient medical records in the wake of the global tech outages, forcing the health system to cancel elective surgeries and many outpatient appointments — and even write medical notes with paper and pen Friday.
The health system was one of those hit hardest in the region by the outages — others including Temple Health, Jefferson Health, and the Penn-affiliated Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia were not affected. Main Line Health also reported some of their systems were down but that doctors could still access patient records.
Local theaters impacted after outage 'put a damper' on weekend box office sales
Ticketing and donation system Tessitura is down, which has affected several local theaters including the Wilma Theater, People’s Light in Malvern, and Bristol Riverside Theatre in Bucks County.
“This is a huge disruption for any theater company working with Tessitura,” said Ken Kaissar, coproducing director of Bristol Riverside Theatre. “We can’t login, we can't check on sales or run reports — we have a show tonight and it’s going to be hard to seat people.”
All impacted airlines at PHL have resumed operations
All impacted airlines at the Philadelphia International Airport have resumed operations as of 1:30 p.m., confirmed airport spokesperson Heather Redfern. Still, 90 flights into and out of PHL have been cancelled, said Redfin, and 155 are delayed.
Redfern encouraged people to to check with their airlines before heading to the airport. Delays and cancellations should be expected for the remainder of Friday.
Philly's sports teams unaffected by outage, but ESPN wasn't so lucky
The tech outage didn’t impact any of Philly’s local sports teams — but it did impact a few major networks. ESPN’s morning SportsCenter was cancelled, and later morning shows like Get Up! went on without on-screen text or graphics. In place of SportsCenter, the network aired a simulcast of one of its radio shows, Unsportsmanlike.
“That picture tells maybe a thousand words, if not more,” Mike Greenberg said on Get Up!, while the video board showed a Microsoft error screen instead of b-roll or highlights. “If you are joining us this morning from anywhere on planet Earth, you are probably already aware that there are massive computer outages that are impacting almost every element of our lives. Don’t ask me to explain them to you, I’m certainly not capable of doing so. I can tell you, however, that our program today is going to look a little bit different. We do not have video, we do not have soundbites and we do not have graphics.”
Commonwealth services back online, Gov. Shapiro says
Services offered by the commonwealth are back online, according to a post on X from Gov. Josh Shapiro early this afternoon. This includes public safety resources, like 9-1-1 dispatch centers.
Specific state agencies, like PennDOT reported connectivity disruptions impacting services at PennDOT's Driver and Vehicle Services Riverfront Office Center in Harrisburg, Driver License Centers, PennDOT's Customer Call Center and some services on their website before it was restored. The checkout feature on the website of Fine Wine & Good Spirits, which is run by the Pa. Liquor Control Board, was also affected. Further details on the extent to which other agencies were impacted, and for how long, remains unclear.
Please Touch Museum impacted, but closed early due to unrelated power outage
The Please Touch Museum’s ticketing system has been down since this morning due to the tech outage and they do not yet know when the service will be restored.
Separately, the museum lost power this morning due to a power outage in Parkside, according to a spokesperson, so doors closed early today. The museum plans to reopen on Saturday and current reservations remain valid; if the ticketing system still doesn’t work, visitors can pay at the admissions desk on arrival.
UPenn working to fix impacts of outage
The University of Pennsylvania was hit by Friday's outage, according to a message sent to all university personnel.
“Penn IT is actively implementing a fix and will continue to bring systems back up as quickly as possible,” the university said in an email sent to staff Friday.
Local effects of the global tech outage
Here is a roundup of some of the initial effects of the global technology outage that struck some Microsoft computer systems overnight. Some of these disruptions have since been resolved.
PennDot services restored at some facilities amid ongoing impacts from outage
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation experienced some connectivity problems due to the outage, impacting services at PennDot's Driver and Vehicle Services Riverfront Office Center in Harrisburg, Driver License Centers, PennDOT's Customer Call Center and some services on their website, according to a post on X Friday morning.
Later, PennDOT wrote that services at Driver and Vehicle Services had been restored, but the agency would continue to monitor the situation.
A mixed bag of impacts for travelers at PHL: 'We just have to wait'
As travelers at Philadelphia International Airport continued to feel the effects of the outage that has grounded planes across the globe, the Spirit counter area was packed with travelers waiting in line at Terminal D around 11 a.m. Friday morning.
Several people sat on a windowsill ledge, and several more sat or laid on the floor.
How software errors melted down the world’s computer systems
Widespread technology errors Thursday and Friday stranded airline passengers around the world, halted hospital surgeries and crippled office workers’ computers in one of the most disruptive computer outages in years, highlighting how much of the world relies on essential but inherently error-prone software from a handful of companies.
Technology experts said the meltdowns stemmed at least partly from a software error at CrowdStrike, whose technology is widely used by businesses around the world to protect their computer systems from cyberattacks.
American Airlines issues waiver for travelers impacted by outage
Penn Museum remains open despite issues with ticketing system due to outage
The Penn Museum website was down Friday morning but was restored. However, its online ticketing system remains inaccessible. The museum is still open to visitors for “pay what you wish” admission, though it can only accept cash, according to a museum spokesperson.
— Rosa Cartagena
Main Line Health still seeing patients despite impacts to computer systems
A spokesperson for Main Line Health said that some of the health system's clinical and non-clinical computer systems were down, but that some had already been restored late Friday morning.
"It's still a work in progress — some are still needing to be brought back up, and that work is continuing," said Phil Ellingsworth Jr., Main Line's communications director. "Our staff are doing a phenomenal job navigating this situation. It's an unprecedented event."
Several Norristown departments down or operating with limited service
In Norristown, the finance department, codes department, police and fire departments were down or operating with limited service according to its website.
The borough's finance department was only accepting cash payments, while records systems for both the police and fire departments were inaccessible.
Peco, PGW seeing minimal impacts from outage
Peco, Philadelphia Gas Works, and Atlantic City Electric were impacted by Friday's global outage, though customer-facing online systems appeared to be running smoothly.
“The technology issue impacted some information systems at Exelon and its local energy companies," including Peco and Atlantic City Electric, spokespeople for the companies said in a statement. “We are continuing to assess the impact of this third-party global event and activate contingency and recovery plans.
City's supportive housing system impacted by outage
Staff at Philadelphia’s Apple Tree Family Intake Center told families anxiously seeking homeless shelter beds to be patient on Friday morning, as only four out of about a dozen computers in the office were functioning in the wake of the outage.
A group of parents with young children sitting on the steps of a nearby church said the news capped off a week in which they’d been turned out of emergency shelters during the day despite Code Red heat.
Travelers at Philly airport feeling 'frustrated' and 'annoyed' by delays
Around 10 a.m., four blue screens with the word “Recovery” were displayed above the American Airlines check-in counter in Terminal A East at Philadelphia International Airport, and a line of some 35 travelers moved along quickly.
A handful of flights from various airlines were marked as delayed on the departure screen and many flights were displaying a new gate.
Fine Wine & Good Spirits impacted by outage
Checkout times on the Fine Wine & Good Spirits website have been impacted by the global outage.
Upon arriving at the purchaser's website, customers are met with a red banner that says "Due to global outages, we’re experiencing interrupted checkout issues. If you’re unable to place an order, please come back and try again later today."
Tech outage caused by software bug in a system update, CEO says
CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz said the tech outage that has impacted systems across the globe was caused by a software bug in a system update, creating issues within Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
Kurtz said on NBC's Today show Friday the company has resolved the issue and the focus now is “recovering systems that are out there.”
Some Pennsylvania state systems impacted by the outage
Some Pennsylvania state systems have been impacted by the outage, according to a statement from Gov. Josh Shapiro, but it remained unclear Friday morning which functions were experiencing disruptions.
Shapiro said in a statement he had been briefed on the issue and that his administration was “work[ing] hard to restore services as usual.”
Bensalem's entire system was impacted by outages
In Bucks County, Bensalem Township’s systems were brought offline by the CrowdStrike outage, according to township Finance Manager John Chaykowski.
Chaykowski said the township’s police and fire systems, used for completing reports about calls, were restored first by about 8:30 this morning.
Philly-area hospitals, including Penn, remain impacted by tech outage
Here’s what we know as of 10 a.m. this morning as reported by health systems and hospitals in our coverage area:
• Penn Medicine canceled elective surgeries in the morning and said it would provide employees with “paper forms” to provide safe care in case of emergencies. Its patient portal, MyChart, became functional at about 9 a.m. However, Penn alerted patients that some appointments may be canceled or rescheduled today.
Minor computer issues in Delaware County
Delaware County was affected by the global tech outage, confirmed county spokesperson Adrienne Marofsky, but it hasn't experienced any disruption to 911 dispatches. All county offices are open and operating normally, she said.
"Some desktops and laptops at the Government Center and Courthouse are affected and others are able to log on with no issues," Marofsky said.
— Beatrice Forman
Camden County IT workers must visit over 1,000 computers to reverse outage
In Camden County, computers went out across the essential and nonessential services around 1 a.m. Friday morning, said county spokesperson Dan Keashen, forcing the police department to operate manually over radio through the wee hours of the morning.
The county’s police, sheriffs, and correctional offices are all operating normally as 9 a.m., said Keashen, and 911 dispatchers are still able to answer calls.
Some TD Bank users reported issues accessing their money
WSFS, the largest bank based in the Philadelphia area, reported business as usual at its 94 offices.
"We are aware of the CrowdStrike outage affecting Microsoft users ... At the present time, our customers are not experiencing (outages or delays)... We continue to monitor. We are open and servicing customers," said spokesman Justin Dunn.
Bucks County's 911 and emergency services not impacted by outage
Bucks County’s 911 and emergency services are fully operational, according to Jim O’Malley, Bucks County’s deputy director of communications. Courts are open as scheduled.
Bucks County’s government offices, he said, are also open as scheduled, however, some departments’ computer access may be down and certain requests may not be able to be completed. Residents are encouraged to call the department ahead of their visit to confirm its specific systems will be available, O’Malley said.
— Milan Varia
Gloucester County 911, county dispatch service restored
Gloucester County's 911 and county dispatch is back up and running after being down for several hours early Friday morning due to the global tech outage, authorities said.
Between 12:36 a.m. and 4:28 a.m., the county's 911 and emergency dispatch was out, said Jack DeAngelo, deputy director of Gloucester County's Office of Emergency Management. The outage, he said, coincided with an automatic software update for Microsoft users.
Amtrak running normally
Amtrak has not been impacted by the global tech outage impacting systems across the globe, according to a spokesperson.
– Beatrice Forman
The 'blue screen of death,' explained
Millions of Windows 10 users were met with 'Blue Screens of Death' following Microsoft's major outage.
The issue, impacting a mix of companies and agencies globally, started with an ominous sign to any computer owner with Windows software: a blue screen.
Philly courts closed due to outage
The Philadelphia court system is closed today as a result of the global outage and all cases scheduled for today will be rescheduled, a spokesperson said.
Starting on Monday, the public can contact the court through its website for new dates.
More than 100 flights delayed or canceled at Philadelphia airport
At least 103 flights into and out of the Philadelphia International Airport have been delayed or canceled Friday morning, according to airport spokesperson Heather Redfin.
As of 7:30 a.m., there have been 45 delays across airlines at PHL and 58 cancellations, said Redfin, with American Airlines being the hardest hit. 11% of their flights have been delayed at PHL, said Redfin, and 5% have been cancelled.
What is CrowdStrike, the company linked to global tech outage?
In a statement Friday morning, Microsoft said the widespread outages stemmed from an issue with cybersecurity company CrowdStrike.
CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity and cloud tech company based out of Austin, Texas that launched around 2011. It has more than 10 different platforms and tools that focus on cyber threat protection and IT tools according to its website.
Penn, Main Line Health canceling elective surgeries due to outage
Penn Medicine and Main Line Health are canceling elective surgeries this morning, part of the worldwide tech outages caused by CrowdStrike.
“All operations are continuing normally except for elective surgical procedures, which were paused this morning,” a Main Line health spokesperson said in a statement.
Philadelphia Police Department's 911 and police dispatch still operational
Basic online applications at the Philadelphia Police Department have been affected by the global tech outage, a department spokesperson said, but 911 and police dispatch have not been affected.
"Some services are experiencing issues," said Sgt. Eric Gripp. "Pretty much same as anything else, anything we access through Microsoft services."
Some Philadelphia systems affected by global outage
Some city of Philadelphia systems have been impacted by the global tech outage affecting Microsoft, but 911 and other public safety systems are functional, a city spokesperson said.
The city uses the Microsoft Windows operating system. A massive global outage has resulted in crashes on machines using Microsoft.
SEPTA sees no impact 'so far'
Friday morning’s global tech outage has had no impact “so far” on SEPTA, according to transit agency spokesperson Andrew Busch.
Busch said that trains, trolleys, and buses have been operating normally, and that SEPTA’s corporate offices have also been unaffected at this time.
— Beatrice Forman
CrowdStrike says it’s working to fix issues caused by Windows update
CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz said the company was working to fix problems created for Windows users of its tools by a recent update in a post on the social media platform X:
CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website. We further recommend organizations ensure they’re communicating with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully mobilized to ensure the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers.
— Associated Press
Philadelphia International Airline flights affected by global tech outage
Widespread technology outage disrupts flights, banks, media outlets and companies around the world
A global technology outage grounded flights, knocked banks offline and media outlets off air on Friday in a massive disruption that affected companies and services around the world and highlighted dependence on software from a handful of providers.
Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said that the issue believed to be behind the outage was not a security incident or cyberattack.