DETROIT (WWJ) -- Frustration and delays for countless travelers in the Detroit area and nationwide on Friday can be blamed on a massive computer outage, officials say.
WWJ's Mike Campbell reported it was "crazy busy," with a lot of confusion at Metro Airport due issues linked to the widespread Microsoft outage that is affecting everything from airlines to 911 service , banks, media outlets and many other business.
Campbell said the screens showing arrivals and departure gates at DTW straight up weren't working Friday morning. The same was true at other airports across the country and even internationally, leading to many flight delays and cancellations.
The situation was much-improved by late morning -- although it's still from business as usual.
"Planes are finally back in the air but terminals are still backed up," Campbell reported, at 9:30 a.m. "The kiosks are coming back; the self check in kiosk have been down because of this Microsoft issue.
"So, checking in your baggage, getting your baggage tags and then getting through your boarding pass process has been what's delayed most of the flyers this morning," he said.
"But that seems to be working except for those who are coming up the western entrance, that line the western entrance to the Delta ticketing booth is all the way down the ramp that leads into the hotel.
"I'm not sure why that ramp is so slow but all the other passengers seem to be getting their bags checked now, at least most of them and getting on," Campbell added.
DTW travelers, and those picking people up, should check on their flight status before heading to the airport.
Meanwhile, WWJ's Charlie Langton reported ongoing delays for people coming into the U.S. at the Detroit-Windsor border on Friday.
"The Ambassador Bridge tech people, they are monitoring the situation," Langton said. "But expect about a 40-minute delay, or more, going into the United States."
Langton said the Microsoft outage was affecting both the Ambassador Bridge and the Windsor Tunnel; although only for people coming into Detroit, not for those headed into Windsor.
At the tunnel, the delay was reported to be slightly shorts, at about 30 minutes.
Along with travel, the Microsoft issue has also been affecting local hospitals.
While some hospitals have had no issues, others may be delaying some procedures.
Corewell Health (formerly Beaumont) said many of their computers and systems are affected by the current global technology issue. IT teams are assessing the situation and working to care for patients, the hospital system said. Corewell's hospitals and emergency rooms are open, but some procedures and appointments might be delayed.
Meanwhile, McLaren Health said they had relatively minor disruptions and core operational systems remain functioning and patient care has not been impacted.
The Detroit Medical Center said they were not affected by the outage.
MORE: Cause of widespread outage impacting Microsoft users identified
Stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 for updates on this developing situation.
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