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After facing significant <keyword id="20192095" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="flight-disruptions" source="keywords">flight disruptions</keyword> recently, <keyword id="21269688" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vistara-CEO" source="keywords">Vistara CEO</keyword> <keyword id="20128232" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vinod-Kannan" source="keywords">Vinod Kannan</keyword> on Thursday told the airline staff that the "worst is behind us" and operations have already stabilised. Pilot woes have forced the <keyword id="21105887" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Group-airline" source="keywords">Tata Group airline</keyword> to temporarily cut down capacity by 10 per cent or 25-30 flights daily. While acknowledging that things should have been planned better, Kannan said it has been a "learning experience". He also said it has been a challenging start to the new financial year and the airline faced significant operational disruption from March 31 to April 2. "The anxiety and frustration felt by our customers was matched in even measure to the pain that all of us felt in seeing our much-loved brand drawing negative commentary from various quarters... I assure you that the worst is behind us, and we have already stabilised our operations, with our on-time performance (OTP) increasing to 89 per cent on 9 April 2024 (second highest among all Indian airlines)," he said in a message to the staff. The full-service carrier has around 6,500 people, including about 1,000 pilots. In the wake of the disruptions, the top management of the airline had held a virtual meeting with the pilots. One of the reasons for the disruptions was also that some section of pilots reporting sick to protest against the new contract that will result in pay revision. According to Kannan, there were a multitude of reasons for the disruptions, including ATC delays, bird hits, and maintenance activities early last month. "We were stretched in our pilot rosters and there was not enough resilience to withstand injects that we would otherwise have weathered. We could and should have planned better, and this has been a learning experience for us which we will review thoroughly," the <keyword id="20018887" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vistara" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Vistara" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Vistara">Vistara</keyword> chief said. Most of the cancellations were in the domestic network and the carrier is working on plans for May and beyond. "While the events of the last week may seem like a setback, the hallmark of our organisation has always been that we have bounced back from tough situations ' and emerged stronger. "... I trust each of you to continue to put in all efforts to ensure that we do not let our brand, and our customer, down," Kannan said. As we emerge from this difficult phase, he said it is this commitment to being a customer-oriented airline that will help it bounce back stronger. The airline has also reached out to customers impacted by the cancellations and delays over the affected period. "We have provided the necessary compensation as per the regulatory mandate, and have also offered additional service recovery vouchers for passengers whose flights were significantly delayed," the Vistara chief said. The carrier has 70 aircraft in its fleet and is to operate more than 300 flights daily in the ongoing summer schedule. "Dealing with disappointed customers is never easy but amidst all the chaos, we have received feedback on how some of you went beyond the call of duty to assist our customers to the extent possible," Kannan said and expressed gratitude to the pilots for cooperating and stepping up to support operations.

Vistara CEO says 'worst is behind us', flight operations have stabilised

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday night.</li><li>Four international and several smaller airports are set to close ahead of the storm arriving.</li></ul>Four international airports are set to suspend commercial flights as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-milton-tampa-mayor-castor-evacuation-orders-die-warning-helene-2024-10">Hurricane Milton</a> approaches Florida, while American Airlines scheduled extra services for evacuees.Milton intensified into a Category 5 storm — the most severe classification — in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday. It later weakened to an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm and is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday night.The National Hurricane Center estimated peak storm surges as high as 15 feet in the Tampa Bay area.Orlando International, Sarasota-Bradenton, St Pete-Clearwater International, and Tampa International airports have all announced closures. All except Orlando are located in counties with mandatory evacuation orders.Tampa International will close Tuesday at 9 a.m., followed by Sarasota-Bradenton at 4 p.m. and St Pete-Clearwater after the last flight departs on Tuesday.As of 7 a.m. Tuesday, close to a third of 158 flights at Tampa International had already been canceled, per FlightAware.Orlando International said it would end commercial operations on Wednesday morning but remain open for emergency, aid, and relief flights. Jet bridges were being tied down in preparation.Several public airports are also closing down, including Peter O. Knight, Tampa Executive, and Plant City.Miami International Airport aid it would remain open but was monitoring the situation and encouraged travelers to confirm their flight status with their airlines.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://news.aa.com/news/news-details/2024/American-provides-extra-seats-customer-flexibility-in-Florida-ahead-of-Hurricane-Milton-OPS-DIS-10/">American Airlines</a> added several flights to help people evacuate on Monday and Tuesday.It's added 11 flights from Tampa International and one from Sarasota-Bradenton, totaling about 2,000 seats. Passengers can check two bags at no cost.American and other airlines have issued travel alerts and are waiving change fees while some are also waiving cancellation charges.The disruption comes two weeks after <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pete-buttigieg-elon-musk-hurricane-helene-call-best-thing-2024-10">Hurricane Helene</a> devastated the southeastern US with more than 1,000 flights canceled.A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration said its Joint Crisis Action Team will handle Hurricane Milton centrally from its command center, "so there is a strong coordinated communication and planning effort."At airports, radars are shut down to protect antennae and their motors from wind damage, while air traffic controllers are evacuated from towers to seek shelter in a lower level of the building."The FAA has personnel on the ground to make sure damaged equipment and services are restored quickly to aid in a rapid response to hard-hit areas," the spokesperson said. "Relief and restoration routes are opened to assist after the storm passes."

Airports are closing and American Airlines is operating evacuation flights as Hurricane Milton nears Florida

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A mass IT outage is affecting flights, banks, and other organizations around the world.</li><li>A "defect" in an update for Windows caused the issue, the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said.</li></ul>Major airlines, banks, and supermarkets are experiencing widespread disruptions connected to a defective update issued by the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.<a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-vs-delta-airlines-domestic-basic-economy-review-2024-6">American Airlines</a> and United Airlines <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/united-american-warn-pilots-of-communication-issues-amid-grounding-2024-7">issued advisories to airborne flights</a> early Friday morning. The carriers said communication was intermittent because of issues with systems that send messages to planes, often from air-traffic control or airline operations.Some passengers were being issued handwritten boarding passes at airports because of the disruption. At London's Heathrow Airport, travelers were advised to check their gate numbers on Google as information screens were not working.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mass-it-outage-companies-operations-airlines-affected-microsoft-crowdstrike-2024-7">Broadcasters and 911 lines</a> are affected, as are grocery stores, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supermarkets-fast-food-chains-retailers-disrupted-global-it-outage-2024-7">retailers, and fast-food giants</a> whose in-store cash registers malfunctioned.As commuters woke up in New York City, they were told train-arrival information for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/NYCTSubway/status/1814244403222868014">the subway</a> would not be available, though service was unaffected."The world grinding to a halt because of a global IT meltdown shows the dark side to technology and that relying on computers doesn't always make life easier," Dan Coatsworth, an investment analyst at AJ Bell, said.CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz said on X the company was "actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts," adding: "The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed."In an interview with NBC's "Today," Kurtz apologized for the outage: "We're deeply sorry for the impact that we've caused to customers, to travelers, to anyone affected by this." He added that it "could be some time" for systems to recover.Microsoft acknowledged the issue in an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/MSFT365Status/status/1814181228196835622">X update</a>: "Our services are still seeing continuous improvements while we continue to take mitigation actions."One cybersecurity expert told Business Insider <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fix-windows-computer-blue-screen-death-what-to-try-2024-7">there was no automatic or remote solution to the problem</a>, meaning "every computer affected has to have some manual interaction."The UK government was due to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the outage later on Friday.<h2 id="e6d4cd41-26e9-4fd3-ba4c-bc0d7d7ef1e9">Disruption and delays</h2>Singapore's Changi Airport said it was manually checking in some passengers, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/it-outage-microsoft-crowdstrike-airports-flights-businesses-4490741">local media reports</a> showed long lines at check-in counters.A spokesperson told BI: "Due to a global outage affecting IT systems of many organizations, the check-in process for some airlines at Changi Airport is being managed manually."<div type="image" title="Long lines of people waiting in Singapore's Changi Airport" height="3024" width="4032" msid="111860916" hostid="261"></div>At London's Luton Airport, Nick Xydias said he was stuck waiting for a Wizz Air flight to Larnaca, Cyprus."It's my birthday, and we'd booked a romantic trip with my wife. She'd got a new dress and everything," he told BI from a long line of frustrated passengers. "All the flights are grounded."His flight was later canceled.He also shared these photos:<div type="image" title="Long lines at Luton Airport, near London, on July 19, 2024, as airlines and other companies reeled from a mass IT outage." height="1536" width="2048" msid="111861943" hostid="261"></div><div type="image" title="Long lines at Luton Airport, near London, on July 19, 2024, as airlines and other companies reeled from a mass IT outage involving Microsoft and Crowdstrike." height="1536" width="2048" msid="111861946" hostid="261"></div>In Australia, Melbourne Airport <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/Melair/status/1814187188029894969">said</a> it was experiencing a "global technology" issue affecting check-in procedures for some airlines. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sydneyairport.com.au/outage">Sydney Airport</a> also reported a global outage for airline operations and terminal services, though flights were still operating.Delhi Airport in India also said it was affected. A passenger at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/akothari/status/1814202068531552666">wrote</a> on X that he had been issued a handwritten boarding pass.Edinburgh Airport in the UK and Berlin Airport in Germany also warned of delays.Ryanair, Europe's largest airline, said there was "disruption across the network due to a Global 3rd party IT outage which is out of our control" and advised passengers to head to airports early.<h2 id="75896c98-625e-4585-b790-e51f8979d345">CrowdStrike issues</h2>Many of the affected Windows devices displayed an error message — colloquially called the "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fix-windows-computer-blue-screen-death-what-to-try-2024-7">blue screen of death</a>" — that locked users out of their computers.CrowdStrike said a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/crowdstrike-global-it-outage-not-caused-by-cyberattack-2024-7">defective update</a> caused the issue.The outage is "one of the most significant of cyber issues of 2024," Omer Grossman of the cybersecurity company CyberArk said in a statement to BI. "The damage to business processes at the global level is dramatic."Correction: July 19, 2024 — An earlier version of this story gave the wrong destination airport for a passenger. Nick Xydias was trying to reach Larnaca, Cyprus, not Monaco.

A massive Microsoft outage is causing disruption across the world for airlines, banks, and retailers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>An American Airlines flight diverted to New York on Wednesday following an "overflowing lavatory," per the FAA.</li><li>The airline apologized for the disruption and passengers continued their journey on Thursday.</li></ul>An <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-vs-delta-united-airlines-economy-compared-flight-review-2024-7">American Airlines</a> flight diverted to New York after crew members discovered problems with the bathrooms.American Airlines flight 36 was en route from Dallas Fort Worth Airport to Madrid on Wednesday when the issue was discovered, according to the FAA. The aircraft landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York at about 10:30 p.m.The FAA said the crew "reported an overflowing lavatory" and would now investigate the incident.An American Airlines spokesperson told Business Insider: "On August 7, American Airlines flight 36 with service from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Madrid (MAD) diverted to New York (JFK) due to a maintenance issue. The aircraft landed normally and passengers continued their journey on another plane on Thursday, the representative added. "We never want to disrupt our customers' travel plans and apologize for the inconvenience."It's understood that the issue involved the aircraft's bathroom sinks and that passengers were given hotel accommodation in New York.It's not the first time this year that aircraft bathroom problems have caused disruptions. In March, a United Airlines flight from Germany to San Francisco was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/united-boeing-777-turned-around-after-toilet-overflowed-report-2024-4">forced to turn around after one of its toilets reportedly malfunctioned</a> and started leaking into the cabin.In February, a KLM Boeing 787 Dreamliner heading to Los Angeles returned to Amsterdam after <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-787-klm-returned-amsterdam-eight-bathrooms-stopped-working-2024-2">eight of the nine bathrooms</a> stopped working.Airlines including American are still recovering from the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mass-it-outage-companies-operations-airlines-affected-microsoft-crowdstrike-2024-7">widespread disruption caused by the Crowdstrike IT outage</a> late last month.Were you on AA36? Contact this reporter at tcarter@businessinsider.com

American Airlines flight to Madrid diverted after bathroom overflows

Faced with <keyword id="21571465" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cabin-crew-shortage" source="keywords">cabin crew shortage</keyword>, <keyword id="19923231" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-India-Express" source="keywords">Air India Express</keyword> on Thursday cancelled 74 <keyword id="19980901" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="flights" source="keywords">flights</keyword> and said <keyword id="19896871" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Air India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Air India">Air India</keyword> will operate services on 20 of its routes to minimise disruptions. A section of cabin crew has reported sick to protest against alleged mismanagement at the airline, which has resulted in the cancellation of more than 90 flights since Tuesday night. "We will be operating 292 flights today. We have mobilised all resources and Air India will support us by operating on 20 of our routes. However, 74 of our flights stand cancelled and we urge our guests booked to fly with us to check if their flight is affected by the disruption before heading to the airport," the airline said in a statement. In case their flight is cancelled or delayed beyond three hours, the carrier said the passengers may opt for a full refund or reschedule to a later date without any fees. The number of <keyword id="632671" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cancelled-flights" source="Orion">cancelled flights</keyword> at 74 translates to around 20 per cent of the airline's scheduled daily flights. Earlier in the day, sources said the airline has issued termination notices to 25 cabin crew members who had reported sick and asked others to join back for duty by 4 pm on Thursday. Against this backdrop, Air India Express said it is taking appropriate steps against certain individuals. "While we will continue to engage with our cabin crew colleagues with a commitment to address any concern, we are taking appropriate steps against certain individuals as their actions have caused grave inconvenience to thousands of our guests," it added. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/indegene-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/109952516.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/indegene-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/109952516.cms" target="_blank">Indegene IPO allotment – How to check allotment, GMP, listing date and more</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/google-wallet-launched-in-india-store-your-loyalty-cards-boarding-passes-and-more/articleshow/109941139.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/google-wallet-launched-in-india-store-your-loyalty-cards-boarding-passes-and-more/articleshow/109941139.cms" target="_blank">Google Wallet launched in India – store your loyalty cards, boarding passes and more</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/top-selling-cars-in-india-in-april-2024-tata-punch-continues-to-dominate/slidelist/109909744.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/top-selling-cars-in-india-in-april-2024-tata-punch-continues-to-dominate/slidelist/109909744.cms" target="_blank">Top-selling cars in India in April 2024 – Tata Punch continues to dominate</a>

Air India Express cancels 74 flights due to cabin crew shortage, to operate 292 flights

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary called for the UK air traffic control boss to resign after flight chaos.</li><li>Over 500 flights were delayed at London Gatwick and Heathrow due to bad weather and staff shortages.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ryanair-ceo-says-potential-100-million-bonus-is-very-good-value-2024-3">Ryanair CEO</a> Michael O'Leary has called for the boss of UK air traffic control to resign in the wake of flight chaos.More than 45% of flights out of London Gatwick and London Heathrow Airports — totalling over 500 — were delayed on Sunday, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.flightaware.com/live/cancelled/minus3days">FlightAware</a> data.At Gatwick, where Ryanair operates some flights, 57 flights were canceled, per FlightAware.Sunday saw bad weather in London but there were also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airport-collision-close-call-solutions-sleep-runways-air-traffic-controllers-2024-2">staff shortages in air traffic control</a>.O'Leary blamed Michael Rolfe, the CEO of NATS, which provides air traffic control services in the UK."This is the latest in a long line of cock-ups by UK NATS, which has yet again disrupted multiple flights and thousands of passengers at Gatwick," the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ryanair-flight-review-first-time-bag-fees-charges-wasnt-convinced-2024-4">Ryanair</a> boss said. "Airlines and passengers deserve better."He added, "Ryanair again calls on UK NATS chief executive Martin Rolfe to step down and allow someone competent to run an efficient UK ATC service, which airlines and passengers are entitled to expect."NATS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider on O'Leary's remarks.It's not the first time the outspoken boss of Europe's busiest airline has publicly criticized Rolfe.After air traffic controller shortages during a national holiday last summer, O'Leary called for Rolfe to step down. In a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://corporate.ryanair.com/news/comedy-gold-as-1-4m-nats-ceo-martin-rolfe-lectures-airspace-conference-on-ensuring-business-continuity-while-he-delivers-uk-atc-failures/">statement</a>, he referred to the regulator's report that 700,000 passengers were disrupted.At a Tuesday press conference with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wizz-airbus-a321xlr-passengers-london-saudi-arabia-suffer-pain-2024-9">Wizz Air</a>, the CEO of London Gatwick Airport also answered questions about NATS."I can assure you that step by step, they're getting stronger," Stewart Wingate said."I remain confident that they will overall deliver very good levels of service, but will not rest until they offer seamless service to ourselves, our airlines and our passengers," he added.A NATS spokesperson told the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8xlz11r919o">BBC</a>: "We are very sorry for [Sunday's] disruption which was also disappointing for our highly professional Gatwick team, who are doing all they can to provide a seamless 24/7 service."They added that when Gatwick appointed the organization to improve ATC performance, "everyone knew we had inherited a staff shortage that would take time to fix."

Europe's biggest airline boss is calling for the resignation of a top air traffic controller over flight chaos in London

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Holiday travel broke records in July as severe weather forced disruptions at many airports. </li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/american-airlines-europe-canceled-flight-first-class-passenger-overbooked-2023-8">Airlines oversell flights on normal days</a>, and they're more likely to bump passengers during disruptions.</li></ul>The Transportation Security Administration screened a record number of passengers over the July 4th holiday weekend as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-airlines-are-struggling-despite-record-travel-demand-profits-revenue-2024-6">airlines continue to see booming demand</a> for travel. Sunday alone <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/travel/passenger-volumes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saw</a> over 3 million people — the most ever in a single day.According to the aircraft tracking website <a href="https://www.flightaware.com/live/cancelled/yesterday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FlightAware</a>, there were about 900 cancellations and about 20,000 delays between Thursday and Saturday for flights flying to, from, or within the US. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-beryl-caribbean-storm-weather-jamaica-record-category-2024-7">Hurricane Beryl forced thousands more</a> on Sunday and Monday as it made landfall in Texas.Airlines overbook flights on a good day to ensure planes are full, but it's even more likely during times of weather and operational chaos. Depending on the traveler, getting <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-offered-10000-dollars-passenger-bump-off-oversold-flight-2022-7">bumped from a flight can either be an easy way to make some cash</a> ($10,000 in one rare case) or a nightmare scenario that ruins your vacation. Either way, there are a few things you should know if you're <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/overbooked-flight-delay-compensation-involuntary-denied-boarding-airlines-2022-8">bumped from an oversold flight</a>.<h2>Voluntary and involuntary bumping</h2>Denied boarding, or "bumping," happens when airlines overbook a flight. This means there are more passengers than available seats, and it's a perfectly legal strategy <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/its-not-just-boeing-airlines-are-hemorrhaging-cash-too-2024-4">airlines use to optimize revenue</a>.According to the US <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/fly-rights#Overbooking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Transportation</a>, when a plane is overbooked, airlines must first seek out passengers willing to volunteer to take a different flight in exchange for compensation.This is considered a "voluntary" bump, where a passenger can essentially sell their seat back to the airline for anything from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/overbooked-flight-delay-compensation-involuntary-denied-boarding-airlines-2022-8">cash to a free ticket</a>, per the DOT. There is no limit to the amount of money or vouchers that airlines can offer as compensation, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-paid-by-airline-for-bumped-flight-tiktok-2022-1">passengers can negotiate with the carriers</a>.<div type="image" title="Delta and United planes." height="1333" width="1777" msid="111586770" hostid="261" sizebytes="99076"></div>If you accept the airline's compensation to give up your seat and take a later flight, the DOT recommends asking these questions to make sure you're aware of any restrictions: <ul><li>When is the next flight on which the airline can confirm your seat? Will you be put on standby? The DOT warns that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airline-nepo-baby-child-of-united-employee-perks-flies-standby-2024-3">standby comes with risks</a> because you could be left stranded if the later flights are also full.</li><li>Will the airline provide other amenities such as free meals, a hotel room, transfers between the hotel and the airport, and a phone card?</li><li>If you accept a free ticket or voucher, how long is it good for? Is the ticket or voucher unusable during holiday periods? Can it be used for international flights?</li></ul>If not enough people volunteer, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/frontier-airlines-ranks-most-likely-to-bump-passengers-from-flights-2023-8">airline will involuntarily bump</a> customers. Most of the time, this occurs before the plane is boarded, and passengers cannot be removed from an aircraft after boarding unless for safety, security, or health reasons or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-flight-diverted-man-exposed-himself-urinated-aisle-2024-7">if they're being disorderly.</a>According to the DOT, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/overbooked-flight-delay-compensation-involuntary-denied-boarding-airlines-2022-8" rel="">airlines must provide compensation for bumped passengers,</a> as well as a written statement of their rights and how airlines select who and who doesn't get involuntarily bumped.There are a few conditions and exceptions outlined by the DOT, including:<ul><li>Aircraft change to a smaller plane due to operational or safety reasons</li><li>The aircraft holds fewer than 30 people</li><li>Weight and balance concerns for planes with 30-60 seats</li><li>The flight is departing from a foreign country and headed to the US</li></ul>If none of these apply and you have a confirmed ticket, you met the check-in deadline, you were at the gate on time, and the airline could not get you to your final destination within an hour of your original arrival time, the DOT says you are entitled to denied boarding compensation, or DBC.<h2>When you're entitled to compensation — and how much</h2>According to the DOT, the DBC is based on the value of your ticket, the length of your delay due to the involuntarily denied boarding, and whether your flight was domestic or international. The agency said the airline might try to offer you a free flight or cash-equivalent voucher first, but you are entitled to cash or check if you prefer.<div type="image" title="A packed airplane cabin." height="1414" width="1885" msid="111586769" hostid="261" sizebytes="81230"></div>For domestic flights that arrive one to two hours later than scheduled, passengers receive 200% of their one-way fare, capped at $775. Arriving over two hours later entitles customers to 400%, capped at $1,550.For international <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aviation-experts-why-its-a-nightmare-to-fly-2023-9">flights that arrive one to four hours later</a> than scheduled, passengers receive 200% of their one-way fare, and anything over four hours is 400%. The same regulated minimum monetary caps apply, but the airline can decide at its discretion to offer more.The DOT said compensation for non-fare tickets, like those paid for with points, is based on the lowest-priced ticket sold in the same class of the service on the same flight.Passengers who booked a higher-fare class, like first or business, but were downgraded to a cheaper cabin must be refunded the difference in price, per the DOT. Customers can also receive a refund for extras they paid for but did not receive on their substitute flight, like a reserved seat.<h2>How to lower the odds of getting bumped from a flight</h2>There's nothing you can do to guarantee you won't get bumped from an overbooked flight, as one traveler who said he was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-europe-canceled-flight-first-class-passenger-overbooked-2023-8">bumped off an American Airlines flight learned the hard way</a>.However, you can take some steps to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/best-airline-credit-cards">decrease your odds</a> of getting bumped, such as buying higher-class seats, checking in on time, and having frequent-flyer status. The DOT said among those in the same fare class, the last to check in are the most likely to be involuntarily bumped.Some travelers may consider booking on an airline that doesn't have a reputation for involuntary bumping.According to the DOT's 2023 consumer air travel <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2024-03/February%202024%20ATCR.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a>, Allegiant Air, Delta Air Lines, and Hawaiian Airlines involuntarily bumped 0, 3, and 5 people, respectively, over the entire year. On the other end of the spectrum, American Airlines and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/frontier-airlines-ranks-most-likely-to-bump-passengers-from-flights-2023-8">Frontier Airlines involuntarily bumped over 10,000 passengers</a> each in 2023. "However, the criteria cannot subject a passenger to any unjust or unreasonable prejudice or disadvantage," the agency notes. "For example, an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-faces-naacp-action-over-racism-accusations-black-passengers-2024-6">airline could not lawfully use a passenger's race or ethnicity</a> as a criterion."

What to do if an airline bumps you from an overbooked flight

<ul class="summary-list"><li>14 people were injured after a Korean Air flight was hit by "severe" turbulence.</li><li>A Korean Air spokesperson said 10 passengers and four flight attendants were hurt in the incident.</li></ul>A bout of turbulence left 14 people injured aboard a Korean Air flight.Korean Air flight KE197 was flying between Seoul in South Korea and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on August 4 when it was struck by an in-air disruption. This is the latest case of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/turbulence-incident-flight-attendant-breaks-back-turkish-airlines-singapore-airlines-2024-5">injuries resulting from turbulence aboard a major airline</a>.A Korean Air spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that 10 passengers and four flight attendants had reported injuries after the flight experienced "severe turbulence.""We have provided support and care to the affected passengers upon their arrival in Ulaanbaatar," the spokesperson said.They added: "With turbulence becoming more frequent and difficult to predict, Korean Air is proactively taking measures to ensure passengers' safety. "Recent measures include ending cabin services 20 minutes earlier on medium- and long-haul routes, and strongly encouraging passengers to keep their seatbelt fastened throughout the entire flight."Severe turbulence has become an increasing concern for airlines following the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/singapore-airlines-passenger-dies-after-severe-turbulence-2024-5">death of a passenger on a Singapore Airlines flight</a>, with one expert telling Business Insider cases were on the rise <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/turbulence-more-frequent-stronger-expert-aviation-explains-why-2024-7">as a result of climate change</a>.Another Korean Air flight bound for Taiwan from South Korea in June was forced to turn back due to turbulence after <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/korean-air-boeing-plane-plummeted-13-people-in-hospital-2024-6">dropping nearly 25,000 feet in five minutes</a> shortly after taking off.The airline said last week that it would stop serving instant noodles aboard its flights to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/korean-air-stop-serving-instant-noodles-burns-increased-turbulence-2024-8">avoid burn accidents as a result of extreme turbulence</a>.It also announced it would <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/korean-air-changes-cabin-service-protocols-due-to-increased-turbulence-2024-7">end cabin services early on some flights</a>, warning that the number of turbulence incidents had doubled in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2019.

14 people injured after a Korean Air flight was hit by severe turbulence

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A massive IT outage on Friday brought much of the US airline industry to a standstill.</li><li>More than 9,000 flights were delayed or canceled due to the outage in the US alone.</li></ul>A massive IT outage on Friday brought much of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/map-shows-united-american-delta-flights-slowing-it-outage-2024-7">US airline industry to a standstill</a>, leaving thousands of flyers stranded in airports across the country during the height of the summer travel season.According to FlightAware data, more than 9,000 flights were delayed or canceled in the US alone. Major hubs like New York and Atlanta saw delays of an average of multiple hours as airlines scrambled to get computer systems back online.Delta and United were among the most affected, with some 23% and 12% of flights canceled, respectively, as of 3:30 p.m. Friday, according to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airlines-sue-biden-administration-dot-fee-transparency-baggage-change-seat-2024-5">US Department of Transportation</a> confirmed to Business Insider that IT-related delays and cancellations are deemed "controllable" by airlines, which entitles affected passengers to accommodations and benefits from the nation's carriers.Many major airlines, including <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/united-american-warn-pilots-of-communication-issues-amid-grounding-2024-7">American</a>, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/delta-air-lines-ceo-questions-financial-strategy-low-cost-carriers-2024-7">Delta</a>, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airlines-united-delta-scrambling-fix-crisis-too-many-cheap-flights-2024-7">United</a>, proactively issued fee and fare difference waivers for affected passengers looking to rebook their flights, helping them avoid usual fees or rules.In 2022, DOT <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dot-airline-customer-service-dashboard-shows-cancellation-delay-policies-meals-2022-9">unveiled</a> a "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard">customer service dashboard</a>" that outlines the benefits and accommodations passengers of 10 airlines are entitled to during controllable delays and cancellations. It includes policies from Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, and United.Interruptions within an airline's control include maintenance and IT outages, DOT says. Others, like weather-related disruptions, are considered uncontrollable and require less of airlines to accommodate customers.<h2 id="6b62cb7f-c6c2-4e1e-a58e-4f1069cbc95e">Delays can mean free rebooking, meals, and even a hotel stay</h2>Here is what affected customers whose flights have been significantly delayed due to Friday's IT outage are entitled to and on which airlines, according to the DOT dashboard of company policies:<ul><li>Rebooked on the same airline at no additional cost: All airlines.</li><li>Rebooked on a partner airline or another airline that the carrier has an agreement with at no additional cost: All airlines except Allegiant, Frontier, Hawaiian, Southwest, and Spirit.</li><li>Meal or meal cash/voucher when flight delay results in passenger waiting for three or more hours: All airlines.</li><li>Complimentary hotel accommodation for passengers affected by overnight delay: All airlines except Frontier.</li><li>Complimentary ground transportation to and from the hotel for passengers affected by overnight delay: All airlines except Frontier.</li><li>Cash compensation when delays exceed three or more hours from scheduled departure time: No airlines.</li><li>Credit/travel voucher when delays exceed three or more hours from scheduled departure time: Alaska, JetBlue, and Southwest only.</li><li>Frequent flyer miles when delay exceeds three or more hours from scheduled departure time: Delta only.</li></ul><h2 id="52df63b9-8ff4-441a-bf9a-3a0198acf721">Cancellations can mean tickets on another airline and cash compensation</h2>Here is what customers on flights canceled due to Friday's IT outage are entitled to, according to the DOT dashboard of airline policies:<ul><li>Rebooked on the same airline at no additional cost: All airlines</li><li>Rebooked on a partner airline or another airline that the carrier has an agreement with at no additional cost: All airlines except Allegiant, Frontier, Southwest, and Spirit.</li><li>Meal or meal cash/voucher when cancellation results in passengers waiting three or more hours for a new flight: All airlines.</li><li>Complimentary hotel accommodation for passengers affected by overnight cancellation: All airlines except Frontier.</li><li>Complimentary ground transportation to and from the hotel for passengers affected by overnight cancellation: All airlines except Frontier.</li><li>Cash compensation when cancellation causes passengers to wait three or more hours from scheduled departure time: No airlines.</li><li>Credit/travel voucher when cancellation causes passenger to wait three or more hours from scheduled departure time: Alaska, JetBlue, and Southwest only.</li><li>Frequent flyer miles when cancellation causes a passenger to wait three or more hours from scheduled departure time: Delta only.</li></ul>

Airlines may owe you for your flight chaos. Here's what to know. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>American Airlines runs its giant aircraft operation from a tornado-withstanding facility in Texas.</li><li>The Integrated Operations Center houses over 20 teams and supports nearly 6,000 daily flights.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airline-pilot-pay-salary-american-delta-united-captain-first-officer-2024-4">American Airlines' pilots, flight attendants</a>, and airport staff are the face of nearly 6,000 flights operated by the carrier around the world each day.However, a team of nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pilot-shortage-american-airlines-heres-why-2021-12">1,700 other employees</a> who work behind the scenes in a giant operational center hidden from the public is just as essential to plane movement.American invited Business Insider to tour its Integrated Operations Center, or <a target="_blank" href="https://s202.q4cdn.com/986123435/files/doc_downloads/fact-sheets/hub/IOC-fact-sheet-2024.pdf">IOC</a>, at its headquarters in Dallas/Fort Worth. For privacy reasons, the company requested photos of certain screens, and employees' faces be blurred.<div type="image" title="The American Airlines IOC building in Texas." height="3024" width="4032" msid="110342415" hostid="261"></div>Mark Groat, American's IOC system customer service manager who led the mid-May tour, described the 149,000-square-foot, tornado-resistant IOC as the "nerve center" of the airline.It runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The complex houses over 20 teams responsible for dispatching planes, monitoring weather, organizing maintenance and cargo, and preventing misconnects, among myriad other duties.<h2 id="5ed1178e-7e29-404c-8a58-bf60db99ba7f">The IOC doesn't look like your typical cubicle office</h2>American's open-space IOC is strategically set up to enable communication and collaboration between the teams, Groat said.For example, the lights are dimmed to reduce strain when looking at screens all day, and the phones use a color light system above each seat to indicate if that person is on a call.<div type="image" title="Inside the AA IOC with people sitting at screens." height="2966" width="3955" msid="110342416" hostid="261"></div>"A red light means you're on the phone, and a green light means your phone is ringing," Groat said, noting the maintenance team, for example, has a line to airport hangars. "So, you can kind of gauge just looking over the floor what kind of day we're having."He noted on busy days when everyone is talking and walking around, white noise is pumped into the IOC to keep the room quiet.<h2 id="f0a984f2-3998-400e-af69-162e230961a6">American uses automation to help manage irregular operations</h2><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-on-time-airlines-in-north-america-ranked-2023-12">American's delay and cancellation rate</a> isn't the best in the US, but the carrier climbed to third place in 2023, according to the aviation data provider Cirium. It lost to Delta Air Lines and narrowly edged out United Airlines.All of these disruptions pass through the heart of the IOC in a section called the "bridge." This is where the IOC director oversees and guides the thousands of daily flights.<div type="image" title="American teammembers working on the &quot;bridge&quot;" height="2612" width="3482" msid="110342417" hostid="261"></div>Alongside the director are managers who work with American's hubs, like Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, and Charlotte, to build plans for "irregular operations" that will impact the fewest customers possible. They're looking at things like staffing, resources, and gate constraints, Goat said.While much of this analysis is done manually, Goat said American launched a new automation tool last year known as the "Hub Efficiency Analytics Tool," or HEAT, to help dispatchers, coordinators, and other employees make more proactive decisions.It analyzes things like when a crew member exceeds their regulated duty period, which flights have the greatest number of connecting customers, how many top-tier loyalty customers are flying, and whether impacted flights are domestic or international — domestic being easier to accommodate.<div type="image" title="A giant television near the center of the IOC displays the diversion airports used at that time, with the colors indicating how close to capacity each is." height="3024" width="4032" msid="110342418" hostid="261"></div>"Instead of separate units canceling flights one by one and customers being rebooked repeatedly, HEAT allows us to update the system with all the delays and cancellations at one time," Groat said."This maintains the integrity of connecting bags, and it means we aren't arbitrarily rerouting somebody who could have ultimately made their connection."On the day of my visit, smoke from a wildfire in the Bahamas was impacting operations at Nassau International Airport. IOC employees were walking desk-to-desk discussing options, while others were analyzing how flights would be impacted — which is where HEAT could come into play."We'll most likely divert en route planes to Miami to wait out the event," Groat said. "If the delay times get longer and crew time becomes an issue, we'll have to evaluate options like canceling some flights or consolidating two into one so we can get our resources back into the system and where they need to be."<h2 id="48ea96de-a4bd-434d-a873-9c673e6b9a52">Crew scheduling and dispatch are among the biggest teams</h2>Planes can't go anywhere without at least two pilots and at least one flight attendant per 50 seats. Crew scheduling is responsible for keeping some 14,000 crew on track every day.There are three different areas within the crew scheduling department, Groat said. One handles day-to-day crewing, a second is responsible for tracking disruptions and calling in reserves, and a third helps make decisions regarding delays and cancellations.<div type="image" title="An American Airlines flight attendant serving passengers on a 2018 flight." height="3256" width="4884" msid="110342419" hostid="261"></div>The job relies on computer systems and knowledge of specific regulations regarding fatigue and duty time, but American also provides automation tools like HEAT to help schedulers quickly and accurately staff flights.He noted that there are times when things get so displaced that not every flight can be accommodated, so the crew coordinators identify "critical" flights that need to be prioritized for operational needs.For example, if a key plane doesn't make it to its next airport and no replacement can get there either, a chain of disruption could occur.Beyond crew scheduling, nearly half of the IOC floor is dedicated to teams that oversee specific fleets, including sections for the Boeing 737 family, the Airbus A320 family, and widebody jets.These teams consist of flight dispatchers, planners who work with maintenance, and crew coordinators. There are also customer service managers who are "the voice of the passenger" and try to proactively find solutions during disruptions.<div type="image" title="Passengers check in for an American Airlines flights at O'Hare International Airport on October 11, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois." height="3648" width="5472" msid="110342420" hostid="261"></div>Groat also pointed to a relatively new but highly specialized team of irregular operations leads who examine long-term strategies to prevent hourslong delays from impacting flights down the line.For example, the team may consider rerouting specific planes over water to avoid severe weather in Florida or analyze how de-icing delays in Chicago could impact departures, he said."Every flight that we can route around a disruptor is another slot we keep flying," he said.<h2 id="e5e4684a-74bd-450b-9fac-ae099a40819d">Smaller workgroups are still essential to the operation</h2>While crew scheduling and dispatchers make up the IOC's bigger work groups, smaller teams like cargo and maintenance coordinators, load planners, air traffic liaisons, regional dispatchers, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teenager-wrong-flight-puerto-rico-instead-of-ohio-2024-1">unaccompanied minor </a>organizers also have roles to fill."When disruption happens, we need to know what cargo is on the airplane that we need to care for, like perishable items, live animals, or pharmaceuticals," Groat said. "Load planners ensure the aircraft are within the right weight and balance."<div type="image" title="American Airlines Embraer ERJ-145 regional jet aircraft in the sky." height="3533" width="5300" msid="110342422" hostid="261"></div>Regional dispatchers coordinate <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-regional-pilots-getting-massive-pay-raise-envoy-piedmont-2022-6">American's subsidiary and contract flying</a> and help find replacement planes when the regional side is disrupted. Groups like schools and sports teams are especially harder to re-accommodate<h2 id="1f2382ee-7914-4ad5-a642-0cc8f0a24b4a">A command center is set up for emergency events</h2>The command center is a giant, glass-enclosed room that is designated for incidents and accidents. Groat said it's only been put to use twice since moving into the IOC building in 2015.He said the first use was after the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/2-explosions-reported-at-brussels-airport-2016-3">bomb attack at Brussels Airport in 2016</a>, which didn't impact American directly, but the airline still used the command center as a point of contact to help find where its customers and team members were.<div type="image" title="A model aircraft of an American 787." height="2943" width="3924" msid="110342423" hostid="261"></div>Groat said the second event was the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-crashes-groundings-timeline-737-max-777-air-force-tanker-2024-1">grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft</a> after two crashes killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019."For the Max, we had 24 planes taken out of the system very quickly, and all of them were in Miami," he said. "We needed the means to find replacement aircraft from other parts of the system to restore the schedule there."

See inside American Airlines' massive flight operations center, where it dispatches 6,000 flights every day 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The sun is growing more active than scientists predicted.</li><li>About every 11 years, the sun's magnetic fields flip, increasing solar activity.</li></ul>From afar, the sun looks calm and peaceful in our daytime skies. But up close, it's an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sun-images-reveal-creepy-threads-holes-light-bridge-solar-surface-2023-5">erupting, chaotic display</a> of solar activity the likes of which astrophysicists didn't expect until the last year or so."We didn't think the sun was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sun-more-active-solar-storms-auroras-power-outages-grounded-flights-2023-2">going to be as active</a> this particular cycle, but the observations are completely opposite," Andrew Gerrard, the department chair and director of the Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research at New Jersey Institute of Technology, told Business Insider.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-storms-timelapse-video-sun-chaotic-peak-activity-noaa-2023-6">Solar cycles</a> typically occur every 11 years. Within that time, the sun oscillates from minimum to maximum solar activity, with maximum activity peaking in the middle of the cycle when the sun's magnetic fields flip.The last solar cycle was from 2008 to 2019. We're now in the middle of the current solar cycle and are approaching maximum magnetic activity.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/next-solar-maximum-2025-what-expect-cycle-2023-4">heightened solar magnetic activity</a> that's been growing over the last several years is so strong that it chokes energy from deep inside the sun, preventing it from reaching the surface. This causes cooler pockets on the solar surface that appear as dark splotches, known as sunspots.Scientists like Gerrard can get an idea of solar activity levels by counting sunspots. They've been reaching record highs over the last year or so.Earlier this month, NOAA reported that preliminary observations had found <a target="_blank" href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/solar-cycle-25-likely-reached-highest-sunspot-number-over-20-years">299 sunspots</a> that all appeared within 24 hours — the highest daily sunspot record in over 22 years if confirmed.Tracking sunspots is important because they are ground zero for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-video-solar-flares-erupt-simultaneously-on-sun-earth-impacts-2024-4">powerful X-class solar flares</a> and massive eruptions called coronal mass ejections. These can pose threats to Earth, causing radio blackouts and power grid outages, disrupting GPS navigation, and even triggering satellites to fall from space.<div type="image" title="coronal mass ejection sun soho nasa" height="896" width="900" msid="112689588" hostid="261" sizebytes="28714"></div>Not all sunspots will produce an eruption and, when they do, not all eruptions pose a threat because they might miss Earth, Alex James, a solar physicist at the University of College London, told Business Insider over email.Still, learning to predict solar storms ahead of time is an important field of ongoing research because it could give us more lead time to prepare, James said.<h2 id="3f034004-b62e-4cb0-a5e1-0dc93a79a6a3">The sun is more active than we thought</h2><div type="image" title="Solar Flare" height="288" width="515" msid="112689589" hostid="261" sizebytes="12236"></div>X-class solar flares and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-eruption-coronal-mass-ejection-geomagnetic-storm-earth-aurora-friday-2023-11">coronal mass ejections</a> are beautiful to watch. But when they burst, they fling high-energy particles into space at speeds exceeding 1,000 mph. If Earth is in the way, there's a chance those particles can interact with our planet's magnetic field and upper atmosphere, causing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/earth-bracing-severe-g4-geomagnetic-storm-may-be-more-to-come-2024-5">geomagnetic storms</a>.Geomagnetic storms can spark beautiful aurora borealis and aurora australis — the Northern and Southern lights. These colorful displays have been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/northern-lights-appear-texas-utah-south-dakota-after-double-solar-eruption-2023-11">showing up further south</a> than usual, in states like Texas and Colorado. That's because of the sun's increased activity.<div type="image" title="You can see the Northern Lights in Alaska." height="854" width="1280" msid="112689585" hostid="261" sizebytes="96978"></div>But those high-energy particles are also like little gremlins that can cause all sorts of mayhem to high-frequency radio emissions that the military, airlines, and GPS systems rely on, Gerrard said.Since January, geomagnetic storms have caused <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/severe-g4-solar-storm-heading-toward-earth-heres-what-to-know-2024-5">radio blackouts</a> on four continents: North and South America, Europe, and Africa. This can make your GPS temporarily act up. It can also lead to power outages as well as grounded flights and flight delays since the Federal Aviation Administration won't allow planes to fly without both radio and satellite communications.Another concern is spacecraft. "If there's a coronal mass ejection, and if that material gets to the Earth, it's going to make the densities in Earth's upper atmosphere higher," Gerrard said. "And that's going to create more drag, and more drag is going to bring down spacecraft."In February 2022, a geomagnetic storm contributed to 38 <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-starlink-satellites-internet">Starlink satellites</a> coming down from orbit. The satellites were in a lower, transitional orbit and hadn't yet reached their final destination. <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=377c514ba577b9909f153f306aea59fc85b5a934b6debc10d30e7b8e69c6b99d&amp;postID=66c3af594add317a03d26c33&amp;postSlug=solar-cycle-active-grounded-flights-downed-satellites-2024-8&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fd44151-024-00066-y">Scientists suspect</a> that lower orbit combined with a geo-storm, causing them to fall from space and burn up in Earth's atmosphere.And last May, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/starlink-experiencing-degraded-service-musk-says-satellites-under-pressure-2024-05-11">largest</a> geomagnetic storm to reach Earth in two decades led to degraded service from Starlink. No satellites fell out of orbit during that storm.<h2 id="b87e835e-66db-41c1-addc-5879e83a4108">The sun is reaching solar maximum</h2><div type="image" title="sunspot" height="1080" width="1920" msid="112689591" hostid="261" sizebytes="63402"></div>The sun's activity is expected to continue to increase until it reaches peak activity levels, which scientists call solar maximum."Current predictions suggest solar maximum will occur in the second half of 2025, but we'll only really know when the true maximum has occurred after the activity starts to decline again," James said.Though this cycle's solar maximum is projected to be stronger than scientists initially predicted, it's "looking fairly average in a more historical context," Mathew Owens, professor of space physics at the University of Reading, told BI over email.Still, we're likely more prone to the effects of solar maximum now than ever before because of our growing dependence on satellite technology, James said.

The sun is more active than experts predicted. It could mean more grounded flights, downed satellites, and stunning aurora. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A global IT outage saw airports in Belfast and Singapore handwrite flight information.</li><li>A Belfast International Airport spokesperson told BI all systems have since been restored.</li></ul>Staff at several airports had to handwrite flight information on whiteboards due to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/major-disruptions-airline-bank-london-stock-exchange-microsoft-outage-2024-7">worldwide IT outage</a>.Business Insider saw whiteboards at <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-do-singapore-changi-airport-10-coolest-things-2023-2">Singapore Changi Airport</a> being used to allocate check-in lines for the budget airline <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scoot-best-place-to-sit-on-a-plane-booking-flight-travel-2023-7">Scoot</a>.Almost 7,000 miles away in Northern Ireland, a Belfast International Airport spokesperson told BI that whiteboards were being used, but all systems have since been restored.A user on X shared a photo she said was taken by her brother-in-law.In the background, monitors usually used for flight information can be seen displaying the "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fix-windows-computer-blue-screen-death-what-to-try-2024-7">blue screen of death</a>."Major airlines, banks, and supermarkets are experiencing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mass-it-outage-companies-operations-airlines-affected-microsoft-crowdstrike-2024-7">widespread disruptions because of an IT outage</a> after Microsoft reported problems with its online services, linked to an issue at the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike."A global IT system outage is impacting the airport alongside many other businesses, but flights remain operational," the Belfast International spokesperson said in a statement."Our IT teams are working hard to resolve the issue but there are longer wait times than usual at the airport and we thank passengers for their patience while the issue is resolved."A spokesperson for Singapore Changi Airport said the check-in process for some airlines was "being managed manually," which included issuing boarding passes.The disruption has affected aviation across the globe.Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and American Airlines — the big three US carriers — all issued ground stops early Friday morning. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/united-american-warn-pilots-of-communication-issues-amid-grounding-2024-7">United and American also alerted pilots of communication issues</a>.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ryanair-flight-review-first-time-bag-fees-charges-wasnt-convinced-2024-4">Ryanair</a>, Europe's largest airline, has several routes out of Belfast International. It advised passengers to arrive at least three hours early as it experienced "disruption across the network" due to the outage.Wizz Air, British Airways, and KLM have also warned of delays.

You Searched For "flight services disrupted" and got 12 results

Vistara CEO says 'worst is behind us', flight operations have stabilised

PTI

Airports are closing and American Airlines is operating evacuation flights as Hurricane Milton nears Florida

Pete Syme

A massive Microsoft outage is causing disruption across the world for airlines, banks, and retailers

Aditi Bharade

American Airlines flight to Madrid diverted after bathroom overflows

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Air India Express cancels 74 flights due to cabin crew shortage, to operate 292 flights

PTI

Europe's biggest airline boss is calling for the resignation of a top air traffic controller over flight chaos in London

Pete Syme

What to do if an airline bumps you from an overbooked flight

Hannah Towey,Taylor Rains

14 people injured after a Korean Air flight was hit by severe turbulence

Tom Carter

Airlines may owe you for your flight chaos. Here's what to know.

Benjamin Zhang

See inside American Airlines' massive flight operations center, where it dispatches 6,000 flights every day

Taylor Rains

The sun is more active than experts predicted. It could mean more grounded flights, downed satellites, and stunning aurora.

Jessica Orwig

Some airports were forced to use whiteboards to handwrite flight information due to the global IT outage

Pete Syme,Aditi Bharade

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