MILWAUKEE – Several businesses and organizations across the country had a difficult start to their day Friday morning when they began to feel the affects of a software malfunction. As of Friday afternoon, over 2,000 flights nationwide have been cancelled.
“The airplanes can fly just fine, they just can’t print boarding passes or get people accounted for to get on those flights,” said Harold Mester, Director of Public Affairs and Marketing for Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.
The root of the issue comes from the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike issuing a faulty software update to clients that were running Windows programming on their computers. They have said a solution for the issue is on the way, but the domino-affect had already began.
RELATED: Cyber attack affects local car dealership
For Milwaukee’s airport, Mester said the issues were amplified by delegates from the Republican National Convention trying to leave Wisconsin the day after it concludes. At this point, they have been trying to make travelers as comfortable as they can.
“That’s when you have people spending more time in the airport and taking naps on the floor.”
One traveler told our partners at TMJ 4 News they had moved “6 feet in 20 minutes” Friday morning.
Mester emphasized that the operations of the airport itself functioned normally, but their schedule has been altered because of malfunctions with the airlines.
From a technology perspective, Syslogic CEO Tina Chang said situations like these are an example of how easy it is for things to go wrong.
“If somebody doesn’t test something well enough, if there’s just a little defect, or some kind of comment is not removed from code then anything like this could happen.”
Delta Airlines is the only carrier still experiencing severe issues according to Mester. Chang urged people to remember that technology isn’t going anywhere.
“It is part of all organization strategies these days. It requires organizations to understand risks when they adopt it.”
TOP STORIES FROM THE WTMJ NEWSROOM:
- Crews battling large fire on Milwaukee’s west side
- President Biden tests positive for COVID-19
- NEW DETAILS: Milwaukee man arrested on Day One of RNC after concealing a gun near Fiserv Forum
- “We were hoping to just be full:” Downtown Milwaukee businesses fearing RNC bust
- Bob Uecker tells Fox why he keeps broadcasting: “I don’t have anything else to do!”
VIDEO: Body camera footage of King Park shooting, residents react
