A significant global outage in Microsoft Windows services struck without warning on Wednesday morning, paralyzing automated check-in systems at numerous airports across India and plunging air travel into disarray as thousands of passengers faced unexpected delays and long queues.

The disruption was starkly highlighted by an official passenger advisory displayed at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi, which informed travelers that Microsoft Windows was experiencing major service outages worldwide, severely affecting IT infrastructure and rendering electronic check-in counters inoperable at multiple terminals nationwide.

At least four major domestic carriers—IndiGo, SpiceJet, Akasa Air, and Air India Express—were directly impacted by the breakdown, forcing ground staff to abandon digital systems entirely and resort to time-consuming manual check-in and boarding procedures that significantly slowed down operations and contributed to cascading flight delays.

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Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the operator of India’s busiest airport, issued a public statement at 7:40 a.m. acknowledging that several domestic airlines were grappling with serious operational challenges, reassuring affected passengers that on-ground teams were working in close coordination with all stakeholders to restore normalcy and ensure the smoothest possible travel experience under the circumstances.

As of late morning, neither Microsoft nor any of the affected airlines had released an official statement explaining the root cause, the expected resolution timeline, or the full geographical extent of the outage, leaving travelers, airport authorities, and industry observers awaiting further clarity on when digital systems would be fully restored.

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