KUALA LUMPUR (July 19): The online booking and check-in systems of local low-cost airlines AirAsia and Firefly have been impacted by the global tech outage that has disrupted operations across multiple industries, especially the aviation sector, on Friday, causing slower check-ins and longer queues at airports.
However, Malaysia Airlines said it has not been affected by the same issue, according to separate official responses to The Edge's enquiry.
AirAsia in an X (formerly Twitter) post sent out at 4.52pm said its core reservation and check-in systems have been affected.
"You may experience slower check-ins and longer queues and we are doing our best to address this situation. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time," it said.
In an update at 7.30pm, AirAsia advised guests to expect delays for departures due to manual processing, although it assured that there are no flight cancellations at this juncture.
"As the self check-in feature is unavailable at this time, guests who are travelling today are highly encouraged to arrive at the airport early for manual check-in and to clear all travelling formalities," the airline said in a separate statement.
Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), which owns Firefly and Malaysia Airlines, said Firefly's booking and online check-in systems are also impacted by the issue. "Firefly is working closely with the service provider to resolve the issue and restore the system as quickly as possible," it said in a statement.
Nevertheless, MAG confirmed that the flight schedules for Malaysia Airlines and Firefly on Friday remain unaffected so far, and "no flights have been cancelled due to the service outage by its service provider".
Meanwhile, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) (KL:AIRPORT) said its network of airports in Malaysia remains unaffected by the global outage. "However, some of our airline partners are experiencing disruptions due to this issue," it said in a Facebook post.
While it advised passengers to check for the latest updates and instructions regarding specific flights with the respective airlines, MAHB assured that its airport personnel are on-site to assist passengers from any affected airlines. "Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help," it said.
Major US airlines — American Airlines, Delta Airlines and United Airlines — were reported to have grounded all flights regardless of their destination, while other carriers and airports around the world reported delays and disruptions, according to global news agencies.
The chief executive officer of CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm that has Microsoft among its clients, said the company has identified the update that crashed Windows systems around the globe and that “a fix has been deployed”.
“This is not a security incident or cyberattack,” CEO George Kurtz said in a statement posted on X. “The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed.”