Global Microsoft outage affects government services and airlines
Banking, courts, and government agencies in several countries face disruptions as Microsoft engineers work to restore services.
A global outage of Microsoft 365 services disrupted businesses, government operations, and airlines across multiple countries on Friday, according to the Times of India. The disruption, which began on Thursday, has impacted applications including Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and Copilot.
In Australia, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Australian Federal Police confirmed they were affected. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated that Microsoft does not believe the issue is a cyberattack and suspects an update-related problem. Burke said the government has activated an agreement to ensure Australian interests receive priority restoration of services.
Government agencies in Japan reported difficulties sending emails, leading Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki to say employees were using physical copies of documents. In the Philippines, the Supreme Court warned that email responses and transactions could face delays.
Banking services in Hong Kong faced disruptions at institutions such as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. In India, IndiGo reported that the outage affected its email support services, though flight operations remained unaffected. Akasa Air also issued an advisory regarding email support delays.
The outage also impacted Singapore's government email services and several US city governments. AI platforms OpenAI and Anthropic reported connectivity issues with Microsoft 365 tools. Microsoft said it is identifying alternative workstreams to restore services and is treating the incident with urgency.