WASHINGTON — While some airlines have lifted ground stops put into place overnight because of a massive technology outage linked to Microsoft systems, uncertainty still remains Friday for many people stuck in limbo at airports.
More than 650 flights were delayed and nearly 200 flights were cancelled across BWI, DCA and Dulles as of 2 p.m., causing chaos and headaches for travelers. United, American, Delta and Allegiant were the most impacted airlines.
Several airlines made statements on X saying they were following manual check-in protocols and warned of delays due to the technical problems. The overall advice was to pack the patience, and leave plenty of wiggle room for navigating long lines.
"Flights are operating, and the airlines continue their work to fully resume operations," a spokesperson for BWI said just before 1 p.m. "We continue to emphasize that travelers should please confirm flight status with their airline prior to heading to the airport."
At Reagan National Airport, large crowds were seen at the airport as the ripple effect from the early-morning Microsoft outage continued to impact flyers. At 7 a.m. there were around 20 delays known, but by 2 p.m. that number grew to more than 230 delays and 80+ cancellations.
Travelers waiting at security checkpoints said it was a rude awakening learning about the outages Friday, but they continued to check their airline apps hoping for the best.
"We pulled up, and these TV screens had frowny faces on them, so we got nervous because we were like oh my gosh, I hope our flight's not delayed," traveler Kaitlyn said as she made her way through the TSA line.
She and her travel partner Dalton were heading to Atlanta on an American Airlines flight.
"We're flying to Atlanta for a wedding this weekend, so we're really hoping we can make it on time for the rehearsal dinner," she said.
When our team checked the status of their flight at 7:30 a.m., it was delayed by about 45 minutes.
One TSA employee said throughout the morning that it seemed like airline employees were checking passengers in and sending them through security, and then the gate agents would have to deal with delays, which have continued to pile up throughout the morning.
You can find specific airline updates here and monitor ground stops here.