A global Microsoft service outage has hit email support services of IndiGo and Akasa Air among other major Indian airlines forcing both to issue advisories to passengers and recommending alternative communication channels.
Several Microsoft platforms (Outlook, Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online) are affected by the outage which means some users cannot send or receive emails or access them. Passengers who need help with flight-related issues via email may not get responses from airline customer support teams in time.
Travellers have been worried that airlines’ communication systems have been disrupted but airlines say it does not mean their flights are down.
IndiGo told passengers their email support services were disrupted due to the global Microsoft outage. IndiGo said it might temporarily not be able to receive emails from customers and that passengers needing immediate help should use other support channels (specifically, IndiGo said contact its AI powered customer support assistant 6E Skai on the airline’s official website or mobile app).
The carrier also said its other customer support channels remained operational and apologised for inconvenience caused by the disruption. The advisory is important because passengers dealing with urgent travel queries, booking changes, cancellations etc would normally send an email for this.
Akasa Air also issued a passenger advisory after email support services went down. The airline said the outage was due to global Microsoft outage and urged customers to use alternative communication options for immediate assistance.
Passengers were told to contact the airline’s 24×7 Akasa Care Centre at +91 9606 112131 or through its official social media platforms for travel related queries. The alternative helpline is expected to help passengers who need urgent information while normal email communication is not available.
Meanwhile Air India Express was relatively upbeat too. It said it was monitoring the Microsoft outage but flight operations were unaffected. “None of our communication channels were affected,” it said.
To avoid email delivery problems (and thus customer messages not reaching it), the carrier temporarily rerouted its email traffic so that messages from passengers reached it. It added that it was responding to customer emails within 24 hours as usual. Voice support services, AI powered assistant AIg, social media channels and customer notification systems were all working normally, it said. This is how different airlines have dealt with the same global technology disruption using alternative technical arrangements.
Delhi Airport also issued an advisory asking passengers to contact their airlines directly for information on flight status and travel arrangements. The airport thanked travellers for staying in touch with their carriers during the disruption and said “we appreciate your patience and understanding”.
Due to operational challenges, some flights may experience disruptions. Our terminal operations team assisted passengers by serving refreshments at the airport. 1/2 https://t.co/faPc0IdlpB
— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) November 13, 2026
This is important because passengers may otherwise rely on email communication for updates on flight timings, cancellations rescheduling or other travel requirements so they have been advised not to wait for emails but use airline websites, mobile apps and customer support numbers instead.
The Microsoft outage hit several widely used business and communication platforms including Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365, SharePoint Online among others. Thousands of users reported problems accessing their accounts, sending and receiving emails and loading inboxes. Downdetector counted nearly 130,000 Outlook-related problem reports shortly after 1 pm ET Thursday morning; users also reported issues with Microsoft Teams, Copilot and other Microsoft 365 services.
Microsoft said it was investigating reports from users that Exchange Online mailboxes could not be accessed through multiple connection methods across the Americas. The company later confirmed that several services (Exchange Online, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Copilot 365 and Microsoft Defender XDR) had been affected.
The disruption once again shows how much airlines and other businesses rely on cloud technology for everyday communication even when aircraft operations and airport services are functioning normally problems with email systems make it hard for passengers to get help.
Airlines increasingly use digital platforms to handle bookings, complaints, refunds, schedule changes and travel notifications too so a disruption affecting one widely used technology provider can have consequences in multiple industries and countries.
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport also released another passenger advisory on SpiceJet flights. The airport warned that some flights may be affected and asked passengers travelling with the airline to check flight status before coming to the airport. Travellers were also asked to stay in touch with SpiceJet for latest updates about their journey.
For IndiGo, Akasa Air, Air India Express or SpiceJet passengers check flight status through official airline channels before departure; passengers needing urgent help should use the alternate contact methods of their carriers.
Microsoft disruption has affected some customer communication services but passengers shouldn’t assume that flights have been cancelled or delayed automatically real time flight information and staying in touch with airlines are still the best ways to avoid unnecessary confusion during disruption.
Comments