Microsoft partner’s glitch disrupts flights, bank ops

A global IT system outage caused by a faulty software update from Microsoft’s partner CrowdStrike is affecting operations for major local airlines and financial institutions in the Philippines.

Cebu Pacific has canceled over 20 local and international flights due to technical issues, while AirAsia reported operational disruptions related to check-in processes.

As of Friday evening, Cebu Pacific announced additional cancellations and updates regarding rescheduled flights, including flight 5J310 which is now scheduled for Saturday night.

Philippine Airlines stated it is not affected by the outage, but MIAA confirmed that operations at Ninoy Aquino International Airport were impacted due to Cebu Pacific's system issues.

Metrobank and RCBC have since restored their digital channels or services, while PNB reported intermittent service disruptions.

CrowdStrike clarified that this is not a cyberattack but rather an issue with a single content update for Windows hosts, which they are working to resolve.