Recent global IT system issues are significantly impacting international airlines, with commercial carriers like Ryanair experiencing a severe 46% decrease in profit. The problems are predominantly due to online booking system disruptions and an increase in flight cancellations.
Big players in the industry, such as Emirates and American Airlines, have reported substantial revenue losses as a consequence. The vastness of the network has posed numerous challenges to implementing urgent strategies to rectify these issues.
The primary cause of the IT system disruption can be traced back to an update released by a major cybersecurity firm last week. The update, initially intended to strengthen system security, ironically caused a cascade of malfunctions, leading to extensive system disruption.
IT glitches disrupting global airlines
Consequently, various network interfaces are currently experiencing slow response times, random shutdowns, and accidental data erasures.
The remediation process is still ongoing, with IT experts tirelessly working to investigate and develop effective countermeasures to the system failure. As the system problem remains unresolved, it has extended to affect different sectors, leading to operational slowdowns at locations like Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and significant delays in pharmaceutical service delivery.
In a recent briefing, the Chairman of the National Pharmacy Association, Nick Kaye, detailed the challenges this IT glitch has caused. Pharmacies globally are grappling with a growing backlog of prescription orders, leading to substantial disruption in their operations and impacting patient care.
Ryanair CEO, Michael O’Leary, confirmed that 400 flight cancellations over the past weekend were attributed directly to the IT malfunctions. To counter customer resistance against price increases, O’Leary also hinted at potential future reductions in airfares.
If this year’s expected economic growth doesn’t triple, the IMF suggests that the UK government may have to consider strategies such as tax increases, borrowing, or spending cuts. This implies a need for an average annual economic growth of approximately 2.6% from the launch of the next parliamentary session in April.
