HONOLULU — Hawaii Department of Transportation said in a news release Friday morning that airline communications that were affected by the worldwide Microsoft outage are back online. As a result, some flights that had been impacted by a ground stop issued by airlines have been able to leave Hawaii. Other flights have been rescheduled or canceled.

Travelers with flights scheduled for Friday were advised to check their flight status with the airline before heading to the airport. 

Thursday evening, several airlines, including United, Delta and American, have issued systemwide ground stops as companies deal with a worldwide Microsoft outage that has affected communications systems.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation issued an advisory late Thursday evening regarding several flights across the islands that were impacted by these ground stops.

There were six flights (1,500 passengers) at Kahului Airport (OGG), six flights (1,000 passengers) at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA), nine flights (2,700 passengers) at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and two flights at Lihue Airport (LIH).

“HDOT has increased security and extended concessions to accommodate impacted passengers,” the agency said. “Passengers are being allowed to remain in the terminals. TSA will leave one security checkpoint lane open at HNL, but has closed all other airports. If passengers leave the secure area, they will not be allowed to reenter until TSA starts operations in the morning.”

HDOT has canceled all previously scheduled runway construction projects for the night. 

Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, serving as acting governor, acknowledged in a statement on Friday morning that the outage impacted Hawaii's airports.

"Yesterday evening, a number of airlines servicing Hawaii were affected, issuing systemwide ground stops. As of this morning, the airline communication systems are back online. Passengers should check with their airline prior to going to the airport and should expect delays," said Luke.  

She also said the State of Hawaii's IT system remains unaffected by the outage. Additionally, her office has been in contact with hospitals, banks, telecommunications and other public services and none of them reported significant effects. However, she said some hospitals and health care systems reported minimal impacts and advised patients to check with medical providers before going to their appointments. 

"Our ability to stay connected online is critical and we’ll continue to monitor this developing situation and provide support where needed," said Luke.

Lianne Bidal Thompson is the digital producer for Spectrum News Hawaii. She writes about community and general news.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with information from HDOT that airline communications systems are back online on Friday morning and the statement from acting Gov. Luke. (July 19, 2024)