Indian airlines face disruption amid global Microsoft Outlook outage; UAE flights operating on time

Dubai: Indian airlines are facing customer communication disruptions amid a global Microsoft service outage, with IndiGo and Akasa Air reporting problems with their email support services.

The disruption comes as airlines deal with passenger queries across multiple channels, although Air India has said its flight operations and customer communication systems remain unaffected.

For UAE travellers, there were no reported flight delays from Dubai Airports linked to the outage. Air India and its sister airline Air India Express were scheduled to operate 16 flights from Dubai International Airport (DXB) from 12pm onwards until the end of Friday. All flights were listed as departing on time on Dubai Airports' website.

The impact reported by the Indian carriers is primarily on email communication, rather than flight operations.

Email disruption

IndiGo issued a service advisory warning passengers that its email support services were affected by the global Microsoft disruption.

"Due to a global Microsoft service disruption, our email support services are currently impacted, and we may not be able to receive your emails," the airline said.

The carrier said its other customer support channels remained available, asking passengers requiring urgent assistance to contact its AI-powered support assistant, 6E Skai, through its website or mobile application.

IndiGo apologised for the inconvenience and thanked passengers for their patience.

Akasa Air also reported delays to its email support services, warning that it might be unable to receive customer emails during the disruption.

"Due to a global Microsoft service disruption, our email support services are currently experiencing delays, and we may be unable to receive your emails," the airline said.

Passengers needing immediate assistance were advised to contact its 24/7 Akasa Care Centre on +91 9606 112131 or reach out through the airline's social media channels.

Air India response

Air India said its flight operations remained unaffected and that it was closely monitoring the Microsoft outage.

In an update on its newsroom, the airline said there had been no impact on its communication channels, including voice support, AI.g, social media and customer notifications.

The carrier also said it had temporarily rerouted its emails to ensure messages continued reaching the airline.

"We are responding to all emails within our usual 24-hour timeline," Air India said.

It added that all its customer support channels were functioning as expected and that it would continue monitoring the situation.

Cheeky message

Air India also took a lighter approach to the disruption, posting a message encouraging passengers to plan their next holiday.

"Emails can wait. The world has been waiting long enough. Consider this your cue to plan that getaway," the airline said in a social media post.

The accompanying image carried the message: "A change of outlook we'd highly recommend."

UAE flights

For passengers flying from Dubai, there were no reported delays linked to the Microsoft outage at the time of reporting.

Air India and Air India Express had 16 departures scheduled from DXB between 12pm and the end of the day on Friday, with all flights listed as on time on the airport's website.

Passengers travelling with the Indian carriers should continue checking their flight status through airline websites and airport information channels, particularly if they are waiting for email responses to customer service queries.

Millions of people around the world, including in the UAE, were left unable to access their emails and work chats after a major Microsoft outage knocked out Outlook, Teams and other Microsoft 365 services.

The disruption began on Thursday and was still affecting users on Friday morning, with Microsoft admitting that its first attempts to fix the problem had not worked. With businesses, government offices and schools relying on these tools every day, the outage has caused widespread frustration.