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Thursday, Aug 20, 2026

Global IT Outages Cause Travel Disruptions Across UK Airports

UK airports are set for a busy weekend after IT outages from a faulty CrowdStrike software update caused severe disruptions globally. As of Friday evening, 338 flights in and out of the UK were canceled, and major airports continue to experience delays. CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz apologized, assuring it was not a cyber-attack and promising full transparency to avoid future incidents.
UK airports are bracing for a busy weekend following widespread disruptions caused by a faulty software update from cyber-security firm CrowdStrike.

These outages have affected computer systems globally, including GPs, pharmacies, banks, payment systems, and train services.

Schools in England and Wales had just started their summer breaks, compounding the issue.

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz has apologized, and suggested that employing multiple systems may help prevent future issues.

As of Friday evening, 338 flights to and from the UK were canceled, and major airports like London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and Manchester Airport are still experiencing delays.

The Port of Dover reports added foot traffic from passengers seeking alternative transport, and there's a significant wait time at the port.

National Rail's services are mostly back to normal.

The outages also affected retailers' card payment systems and TV channel Sky News.

CrowdStrike assures that the incident was not a security breach and promises full transparency in preventing future occurrences.
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