A global Microsoft outage on Friday led to disruptions in airline operations across airports, including Pune. Flight cancellations and long queues of passengers were seen outside airports and at check-in counters. Services like booking, check-in, and boarding processes, including the issuance of boarding passes, are being carried out manually, which is taking longer than expected and leading to long queues at airports.
However, Pune Airport, being a civil enclave at an Indian Air Force station, operates most of its flights during the night. Hence, it did not face significant problems. “Since we have very few flights during the day, we haven’t experienced any major trouble at Pune Airport so far,” said Santosh Dhoke, Pune Airport Director, to the Indian Express.
However, a passenger took to X (formerly Twitter) and said the Pune Airport has "turned into chaos." "#IndiGo's #mismanagement fueled the #chaos. Passengers with boarding passes to drop off their bags were left stranded. The scene was a perfect blend of confusion & comedy (sic)," he wrote.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu assured passengers that the ministry and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are actively managing the situation using manual methods to ensure minimal disruption.
"We have instructed all airlines and airport authorities to keep passengers informed about their flight status and provide necessary assistance," Naidu said.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said the ministry and aviation safety regulator DGCA are closely monitoring the situation.
The minister also stated that instructions have been issued to private airlines to promptly inform passengers about the disruptions.
