Buffalo Airport, ECMC Among WNY Services Affected by Technology Outage

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A global technology outage affecting Microsoft apps and services caused major disruptions around the world Friday, including in Western New York.

Buffalo Niagara International Airport saw several flights delayed Friday morning due to the outage, an NFTA spokesperson told WIVB News 4, and they are “advising travelers to contact their airline” as some flights may still be able to take off.

NFTA trains, buses and police are not experiencing any delays.

According to a statement to WIVB, Erie County Medical Center activated its internal command center and implemented computer shutdown procedures due to the outage. However, the hospital said its patient care is “fully functional and uninterrupted” despite the technology issues.

The City of Buffalo confirmed to WIVB that it is currently not experiencing any major issues due to the outage and that public safety services are still operating.

Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said the issue believed to be causing the outage was not a security incident or cyberattack. The problem affected Microsoft 365 apps and services, and the disruptions intensified several hours after the tech company said it was gradually patching it.

The website DownDectector, which tracks user-reported internet outages, has recorded increasing outages at services from Visa, ADT Security and Amazon, as well as airlines including American Airlines and Delta.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.