Tourist traffic at BER - IT issues: Operations at BER disrupted into the night
After the IT disruption at BER Berlin's main airport, the systems have resumed functioning, but Schönefeld's flight operations will still be disrupted well into the night. A spokesperson confirmed that numerous passengers are forced to wait at the airport. Several airlines are attempting to accommodate their passengers in nearby hotels. "Given the scale of the issue, this is not an easy feat." The airport operators anticipate a full normalization of operations no earlier than Saturday morning.
Flight control tower affected
The worldwide technical disruption caused by a faulty software update of a security program reportedly affected the flight control tower in Schönefeld. Consequently, the flight operations came to a near standstill in the morning. Affected were also the systems of some airlines, particularly KLM, Eurowings, and Ryanair.
A total of 113 out of the approximately 550 planned flights at BER were canceled by early afternoon, according to the airport spokesperson - 51 departures and 62 arrivals. It is expected that this number will increase throughout the day. While the systems at the airport have been functioning normally since midday, some airlines are still grappling with issues.
Delayed holiday start for numerous travelers
Given that it's the start of the holiday season in Berlin, many travelers' vacation plans have been delayed indefinitely. Terminal 1 at BER was crowded in the afternoon. Long lines formed at the check-in counters. Airport staff distributed water. A team for psychological support was also in place, according to the BER spokesperson.
German Olympic athlete Saskia Oettinghaus, a waterspringer, was among those affected while en route to the Olympics in Paris. Oettinghaus took the delay in stride. "It's not that bad for us. It's just a bit delayed, but I think it will still work out," she told the German Press Agency (dpa).
Other travelers expressed frustration. There were no announcements. Traveler Wardan Baghdasaryan was on his way to Armenia via Rome for two weddings and feared he would miss them. Another passenger worried about her connecting flight to New York.
Global disruptions
The computer problems caused widespread disruptions, primarily affecting air travel. In Germany, disruptions were also reported at Hamburg Airport. The Dutch airline KLM suspended most of its operations. The disruption also affected the travel company Tui and its subsidiary Tuifly. However, there have been no reported flight cancellations, according to a dpa spokesperson.
Reports from other countries indicated disruptions in banking and healthcare services. The Australian government held an emergency meeting. Sky News temporarily stopped broadcasting and displayed a static image.
Berlin and Brandenburg primarily affected
Besides the airport, no major institutions in Berlin and Brandenburg were reportedly affected, according to initial information. Public transportation continued as usual. The Berlin city utilities and the eastern German transmission network operator 50Hertz remained unaffected.
The Berlin Administration is also unaffected, a spokesperson for the Senate Department of the Interior stated. "We are in constant contact with our security authorities. The security architecture is functioning." The state administration in the neighboring federal state of Brandenburg reported no IT disruptions.
Hospitals running stable
Healthcare continued to run smoothly. The Brandenburg Healthcare Company reported no information about consequences in any hospital, according to CEO Michael Jacob. The Medical University of Lusatia - Carl Thiem stated that their IT systems were not affected because they do not use the security software of Crowdstrike. The Ernst von Bergmann Clinic in Potsdam and the clinic group also reported, according to a spokesperson, that they were not affected.
No indications of cyber attack
Security sources in Germany stated that it was going towards a technical disruption caused by a faulty software update. The trigger was a error in a program update of the IT security company Crowdstrike. The error has been fixed.
- Although the technical issue has been resolved at BER Berlin Brandenburg Airport, the disruptions at Schönefeld Airport are expected to continue into the night.
- The flight operations at Berlin Brandenburg Airport were significantly affected by the issue, with Eurowings, Ryanair, and KLM among the airlines affected.
- The IT disruption also affected the operations at Schönefeld Airport, which is operated separately, leading to a near standstill in the morning.
- The German Olympic athlete Saskia Oettinghaus was among the passengers affected by the disruptions, as she was en route to the Olympics in Paris.
- The IT disruption at the airports in Berlin and Brandenburg had minimal impact on other major institutions in the region, including public transportation, city utilities, and hospitals.
- The Australian government reported disruptions in banking and healthcare services due to the global IT issue, and Sky News temporarily stopped broadcasting as a result.
- Despite the IT disruptions, the healthcare systems in Brandenburg and other affected areas, such as the Medical University of Lusatia and the Ernst von Bergmann Clinic in Potsdam, were reported to be running smoothly.
