Airport Computer Systems Crash Across The World, Causing Panic

UPDATE: 7:23 a.m. EDT — In addition to the Gatwick Airport in south-east England, check-in systems at the Heathrow Airport in London have also gone down. A spokeswoman for the Heathrow Airport confirmed the reports to the Telegraph.

"A small number of airlines are currently experiencing intermittent issues with their check-in systems at airports around the world — including at Heathrow,” she said. “Passengers will still be able to check-in for their flight, although the process may take slightly longer than usual. We are working closely with our airlines to help resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”

Apart from physical check-ins at multiple airports across the world, air passengers were also unable to access the online check-in systems also.

In a statement following the incident, Amadeus issued a statement stating they have addressed the "network issue that is causing disruption. Technical teams are working on the problem, services are gradually being restored.”

Original Story

Air passengers faced massive inconvenience in several parts of the world Thursday when they were checking-in to their respective flights. The disruption in the airport check-in systems across the globe was reported around 6. am. EDT and many passengers took to social media amid the unprecedented event.

The passengers reported problems at London Gatwick, Charles de Gaulle in Paris, Reagan Airport in Washington D.C., Changi Airport in Singapore, and at airports in Johannesburg, and Zurich. The cause of the disruption was immediately unclear.

Some of the airlines whose passengers faced disruption due to the software crash were British Airways, Air France, and Lufthansa, Mirror Online reported. With no information made available to the passengers, chaos ensued.

As the queues for check-in at the airports grew longer, frustrated passengers took to Twitter and posted pictures of the menace on the micro-blogging site.

A spokesman for Gatwick Airport told the Telegraph: “This is an airline issue, not an airport issue. This isn't Gatwick software, it's hit a few airlines' check-in systems which are down. They are using Altea software and there are several airlines that use the same software for check-in and it's that which is affected. They cannot check the passengers in.”

He could not, however, confirm which airlines affected by the software crash. After a few minutes, the spokesman confirmed that the “glitch” had been fixed. "Things are back up and running after a momentary IT glitch," a spokesman said.

It is not clear if all the airports facing the problem are going through the same glitch that Gatwick Airport was facing and if the issue has been resolved yet.

Amadeus Altéa software is currently used by 125 airlines, both at airports and online. According to their official website, “Amadeus Altéa Departure Control — Flight Management automates your aircraft load control and optimizes every flight departure by analyzing the passenger and cargo load more precisely, and automatically defining the optimal aircraft load distribution.”

The software increases productivity for load controllers with automated flight departure improves improved capacity management, maximizes load capacity for freight, reduces the cost of delays caused by unexpected or last minute changes and achieve on-time flight departures.

(This is a developing story.)