A widespread technology outage has disrupted services at the B.C. health care system and Vancouver International Airport (YVR), leading to delays and cancellations. Over 1,300 flights globally were affected by the IT-system failure, which disrupted communication between aircraft and ground-control staff, including those at YVR.
In Vancouver, U.S.-bound flights appear to be the most impacted, with YVR reporting issues with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s technology systems affecting several flights. Alyssa Smith, a YVR spokesperson, confirmed the outage, stating, “Today, we are aware of a global IT outage affecting some airlines, mainly U.S. carriers. This has disrupted air travel worldwide, including flights to and from YVR.”
Smith clarified that YVR’s operations remain unaffected, but social media photos showed long queues at check-in counters. The outage has caused delays in checking in travelers and their baggage, as well as in rebooking flights, leading to long waits at the airport.
Travelers, especially those flying to the U.S. on Friday, are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
Additionally, all five of B.C.’s health authorities have announced on social media that the province’s health system has been impacted by the global CrowdStrike disruption.
