IT outage impacts flights

A global IT outage is causing delayed flights.

United and other airlines are announcing delays of flights. A message on United’s website states: “A third party software outage is impacting computer systems worldwide, including at United. While we restore those systems, we are holding all of our flights at their departure airports. Flights already airborne are continuing to their destinations.”

Screenshot of Guam International Airport Authority flight schedule.

Guam International Airport Authority spokesperson Rolenda Faasumalie, at around 6:30 p.m. July 19, reported there is “no impact on flights at this time,” adding GIAA operations personnel are monitoring the situation. She said airline passengers should remain in contact with airlines for updates.

The FAA posted online that it is “closely monitoring a technical issue impacting IT systems at U.S. airlines.” The post notes that several airlines requested FAA assistance with ground stops for their fleets until the issue is resolved.

Don Don Donki Guam posted online that the store is accepting cash only until further notice: “Debit cards, credit cards, EBT and DONKI App are temporarily down due to network issues.” It's unclear if this is due to the same issue causing the airline delays.

The technical issue is attributed to CrowdStrike a U.S. cybersecurity technology firm.

“CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single Content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linus hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack,” the company post reads. “The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. 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 communication with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels. Our team is fully mobilized to ensure the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers.” mbj

United to end cash payments at FSM airports in 2027

Travelers flying to or from the Federated States of Micronesia will need a credit or debit card for payments to United Airlines at its airports. The airline will switch to cashless payments for airport and cargo operations in the FSM beginning Jan. 15, 2027, according to an advisory from its station management.

Airline emphasizes commitment to Guam and the region

If there was an overarching message from David Kinzelman, chief customer officer and senior vice president for airport operations, during his visit, it was that the region is not only important to the airline, but that its customers receive the same attention as anywhere else in the United network.