INCONVENIENT

Computer Malfunction Causes Chaos at Airports Across Country

International travelers report long delays due to Customs shutdown.

Passengers across the country faced airport delays Monday night after a U.S. Customs computer outage created chaos for international travelers. The Customs and Border Protection Agency said the “temporary outage” of processing systems was fixed by about 9 p.m. after causing 30-minute to two-hour delays for passengers at various airports. Miami International alone said more than 30 international flights were affected by the outage. Disgruntled passengers in Atlanta, New York, New Jersey, San Francisco, Chicago, and Miami took to Twitter to post photos of long lines and crowds of passengers looking exasperated, with many wondering if the computer systems had been hacked. Passengers in Miami—which appeared to be hit the hardest by the malfunction—said the long lines triggered fights among travelers and made some people sick, with one passenger posting a photo of vomit to make the group’s desperation clear. While the outage has been fixed, authorities have yet to offer a more thorough explanation on the matter. They did say, however, that there was “no indication the disruption was malicious in nature.”