Flight delays, other disruptions reported at JAX following faulty software update that caused havoc worldwide

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Travel took the brunt of the issues caused by a Microsoft operating system failure Friday morning as airlines in the United States, Europe, Australia and India reported problems, with some flights grounded.

In Jacksonville, lines grew through the morning as airlines dealt with the disruptions.

While airlines were getting back in business by midday, the early delays left things backed up.

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As of Friday afternoon, there had been 21 cancellations and 57 flights delayed at the Jacksonville International Airport.

Frustration loomed as the weekend began for travelers with delayed flights after the internet outage impacted computer systems not only at airports but also other businesses, banks, schools and government services.

News4JAX spoke with some travelers at the airport who said they were being patient and optimistic.

Sean said he would have been stuck in Jacksonville if he couldn’t find a flight.

“Well, Sun Country [airline] this morning was canceled and we can’t get through to anybody,” Sean said.

Following the flight cancellation, Sean went from kiosk to kiosk, hoping at least one airline could book him a flight to Minnesota.

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Some airline ticket counters weren’t working at all, impacted by the Microsoft IT issue.

“No luck so far, I’m looking at different cities maybe and I’ll just get a rental car and drive,” Sean said. “I have a business meeting we’re supposed to be at today.”

The outage impacted some travelers even before they stepped inside the airport.

“We saw some operational impacts, I think, as early as 2 o’clock this morning with our parking systems. But we were able to get those online,” Marketing and Public Relations Manager at the Jacksonville International Airport Greg Wills said.

The outage also shut down the parking system at the airport -- but it’s now working correctly.

Once inside the airport, travelers also experienced delays when ordering food.

“Yes, Several restaurants throughout the terminal were affected so their point-of-sell transaction machines aren’t working,” Sean said. “They are taking those orders by hand. So, everything is just taking a little while.”

Once people get a ticket and a flight, the process of getting to the plane won’t be delayed.

• No impact on TSA
• No impact on Tower Control

The FAA said it was closely monitoring the technical issue and was assisting with ground stops for airlines that requested help.

American Airlines reported that, as of 5 a.m. ET, it was able to return to normal operations after “a technical issue with a vendor.”

Traveler Jessica Winberry was stuck in Atlanta on Friday and told News4JAX she had some difficult choices to make amid all the uncertainty at the airports.

“Do we just try and get our hotel room for another night? We’re kind of worried. What if the hotels here get flooded and we don’t have a place to stay and we can’t get a rental car? So just kind of trying to figure out what the best option is to do,” Winberry said. “Could our flight possibly go out today? Are we gonna go sit in the airport all day long and not get out and not be able to get a hotel room or get back to where we are, so just feeling like you’re rolling the dice on whatever decision you make.”

Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg released a statement on X saying the DOT will continue to monitor the situation and will hold airlines responsible for meeting the needs of passengers.

Private pilots were having a completely different experience while commercial flights were delayed and canceled during the outage.

Ed Booth, a News4JAX aviation expert and airline transport pilot, traveled by private plane Friday morning from Jacksonville International Airport.

He said he left at 6 a.m., and by 7 a.m. he arrived in Savannah and saw only one commercial plane take off. Then, in Cincinnati, he saw no commercial traffic at all.

“Just landed at Cincinnati and the main airport there was just silent; no airports leaving or arriving which is unusual because it’s a major midwestern hub and that’s what I observed,” Booth said. [It’s] a business day and you would expect things to be busy and there’s just no air traffic and the only thing that I can relate this to would be what I observed after 9-11 back in 2001 when the whole system was shut down for a couple of days it is eerily reminiscent of that.”

Booth said despite the lack of traffic, the air traffic control system is functioning perfectly and there is nothing wrong with their systems or their ability to track air traffic.

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As for Sean — some good news.

Another airline was in the process of getting him to that business meeting he was looking forward to, but he’d have to drive four hours more to reach his destination.

Travelers are encouraged to check their flight status with their airline, which will have the most up-to-date information about their flight itinerary for flying on Friday.

Furthermore, if people need to rebook their flight because they’re going to miss their connection, people can rebook through the airline.

Another tactic is to post a few words to the airline on the social platform X. Many airlines have staffers who will help rebook passengers who contact the carrier through social media.