Flights at Chicago airports canceled, delayed amid nationwide FAA ground stop

Flights at O'Hare and Midway airports and around the globe were canceled or delayed on Friday due to a major technology outage affecting Microsoft systems.

The big picture: The massive online outages disrupted travel, banking and news outlets worldwide, as CrowdStrike , a cybersecurity company that services multiple industries, went down worldwide.

• The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that it is "closely monitoring a technical issue impacting IT systems at U.S. airlines" and that several airlines had requested "assistance with ground stops for their fleets."
• George Kurtz, president and CEO of CrowdStrike, said in a post to X the company was "actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts."

Driving the news: United, American, Delta and Allegiant Airlines grounded flights early Friday morning due to communications issues, per an FAA alert.

Zoom in: As of 10am Friday, Both O'Hare and Midway airports said they are resuming flights, but that passengers should expect long delays as they get back up and running. Officials encouraged travelers to check with their airlines before arriving to the airport.

• The airports said the outage impacted some concessions inside in addition to some flight delays and cancellations.
• The technical issue also caused headaches for local hospitals and Metra and CTA riders.

Yes, but: Even though there are delays, Southwest Airlines said the outage didn't affect their systems. Southwest is Midway's major airline.

Editor's note: This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.