Global IT glitch: NAIA flights affected; top banks up and running

MANILA – The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is continuously monitoring and managing the situation arising from the global outage of information technology (IT) systems, according to a statement posted on Facebook past midnight Saturday.

As of posting time, MIAA said eight airlines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (Pasay City) and one in Terminal 2 (Parañaque City) were affected.

"The terminal management has deployed additional personnel to efficiently handle build-up of passengers at check-in counters while also distributing Malasakit (Care) Kits to passengers impacted by the situation," the MIAA said in a Facebook post.

Passengers were advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport.

MIAA can be reached through the following landline numbers: flight information: (02) 8877-1109, T1 – local 2181; T2 – local 2182; T3 – local 2183; T4 – local 2184; and hotline 8877-1111.

Passengers may also send messages or inquiries via TextNAIA at 0917-8396242.

Cebu Pacific canceled 37 flights on Friday and five on Saturday, while Philippine Airlines said it is not affected.

"MIAA employees are doing their job(s) to cater [to] your needs and whatever assistance they can offer. Let's not blame one another 'cause no one wants this to happen. Let's be considerate," one netizen commented on the MIAA advisory.

The country's top banks likewise encountered glitches Friday but issues were resolved within the day.

BPI said customers experienced longer wait times in branches and contact center and delays in crediting of financial transactions including bills payment and interbank fund transfers.

Banco de Oro reported technical difficulties and delays in or unavailability of processing transactions via its digital channels.

Metrobank said customers experienced "slow down or temporary unavailability of some bank products and services" through online channels.

Around 5 p.m., Metrobank said "all our online bank channels are now available" to serve clients.

BDO followed suit before 9 p.m., saying all digital channels have been successfully restored.

By 9:42 p.m., BPI said the global issue that affected some of its computers has been resolved.

Union Bank of the Philippines and Philippine National Bank reported the same issues but had no updates yet as of posting time.

American cybersecurity technology firm CrowdStrike said the outage is not a due to a cyberattack but by a software issue that has been identified and a fix had been deployed, according to a report by ABC News.

"We refer customers to the support portal for the latest updates and will continue to provide complete and continuous updates on our website. We further recommend organizations ensure they're communicating with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully mobilized to ensure the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers," CrowdStrike chief executive officer George Kurtz told CNBC.

South Korean news agency Yonhap said Friday that some low-cost airlines had problems with booking or issuing air tickets Friday.

The cyber outage affected the airport ticketing of Jeju Air Co., Eastar Jet Co. and Air Premia Inc.

In Paris, France that will host the Olympics on July 26 to Aug. 11, organizers said "impacts are limited" but concerns are in the delivery of uniforms and accreditations.

"Our teams have been fully mobilized to ensure the continuity of operations at optimum levels," the Paris 2024 statement read. (PNA)