A global information technology (IT) outage attributed to a software update performed by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike affected operations at Midland International Air & Space Port (MAF) on July 19. Disruptions subsequently impacted airlines, hospitals, and personal computers due to the flawed security update.
According to a Facebook post from the Permian Basin airport, MAF stated that while flights were arriving and departing, delays were also occurring. Passengers were urged to check with their airlines for the latest flight updates.
The Midland Reporter-Telegram (MRT) reported that operations at MAF were not the only ones affected by the outage. The city of Midland’s online water billing system was temporarily down.
Citizens were prompted to go to the Andrews Highway customer service location at 1030 Andrews Hwy. or Midland City Hall at 300 N. Loraine St., according to MRT.
MRT further reported that the Midland County government presented no major issues related to the outage, though the Midland County Tax Office reported having difficulty processing motor vehicle titles and registrations.
As stated on its website, MAF ranks eighth among primary commercial service airports in Texas.
The airport is owned and operated by the city of Midland and offers more than 20 daily departures to several major airports including Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dallas Love Field (DAL), Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Houston William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), and Denver International Airport (DEN).