easyJet Passengers Suffer As IT Issues Impact Flights For A Second Day

IT outages continue to rock UK carriers.

SCHOENEFELD, GERMANY – OCTOBER 31: Aircraft of airline Easyjet, arrives as first one to the new BER Berlin Brandenburg Airport on October 31, 2020 in Schoenefeld, Germany. The new airport incorporates former Schoenefeld airport as its Terminal 5 and also replaces Tegel Airport, which will close in coming days. Berlin Brandenburg Airport was originally scheduled to open in 2011 but was stricken by design flaws, corruption scandals, legal wranglings and failed technical audits. The airport will serve Berlin and the surrounding region. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

SCHOENEFELD, GERMANY – OCTOBER 31: Aircraft of airline Easyjet, arrives as first one to the new BER Berlin Brandenburg Airport on October 31, 2020 in Schoenefeld, Germany. The new airport incorporates former Schoenefeld airport as its Terminal 5 and also replaces Tegel Airport, which will close in coming days. Berlin Brandenburg Airport was originally scheduled to open in 2011 but was stricken by design flaws, corruption scandals, legal wranglings and failed technical audits. The airport will serve Berlin and the surrounding region. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

easyJet

IATA/ICAO Code

U2/EZY (UK) |
EC/EJU (Europe) |
DS/EZS (Switzerland)

Airline Type

Low-Cost Carrier

Hub(s)

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Geneva Airport, London Gatwick Airport, London Luton Airport, Milan Malpensa Airport

Year Founded

1995

CEO

Johan Lundgren

easyJet yesterday canceled approximately 200 flights following a software failure. The UK-based low-cost carrier saw its operations across the United Kingdom become affected as a result of these IT issues. The airline is also witnessing some cancellations today.

Network-wide woes

easyJet flights that departed between 13:00 and 15:00 BST on May 24th at several airports, including Gatwick, Stansted, Edinburgh, Luton, and Manchester, were most notably impacted by the failure.

While the cancellations left travelers frustrated at airports across the UK, many tourists abroad were also affected, with their return flights grounded due to easyJet’s software problem. According to the BBC, a passenger had expressed that customers at the airport were told that their flight had been canceled only 10 minutes before boarding time.

While encouraging passengers to check their flight status on the carrier’s website, easyJet took to its social media to apologize to its customers yesterday. The operator has also highlighted that passengers can apply for compensation in line with regulations.

A word from the airline

Simple Flying today reached out to easyJet for further comment on the IT issues and subsequent cancellations. The company has informed Simple Flying of the following:

“Yesterday we operated almost 1500 flights network wide. Around 200 were impacted by an IT systems issue which was rectified within a couple of hours. Today we plan to operate around 1700 flights but unfortunately a small number have been impacted this morning. Customers have been notified and provided with options to rebook or receive a refund. We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Industry concerns

easyJet isn’t the only British carrier to face operational struggles due to IT issues. In February, British Airways experienced a significant IT outage, which saw its app and website crash. As a result, many of the full-service carrier’s flights were forced to be canceled. Overall, passengers were unable to check in to their flight or make reservations due to the event, and many travelers were left stranded.

This incident followed a similar sequence last June when British Airways’ website was again down due to IT issues, causing flight delays. UK-based carriers will be keen to address such concerns to ensure that they don’t happen again.

IT systems expenditure is a top priority for airlines around the world. Risks of cyber attacks or data breaches are always there, and carriers have been determined to keep ahead. SITA recently reported that 100% of operators are investing in cybersecurity initiatives. Additionally, 95% of airlines are spending on cloud services and 88% on mobile applications for passenger services. So, the regularity of notable issues occurring should be reduced in the coming years.

What are your thoughts about easyJet canceling around 200 flights due to software issues? What do you make of the overall situation? Let us know what you think of the conditions in the comment section.

Source: BBC

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