A major disruption hit the internet on October 29, 2025, as outages at Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS) coincided, making numerous online platforms unavailable to users and businesses worldwide. The problems affected office apps, gaming, finance, and airlines.
Timeline of the Disruptions
Issues began around 9 a.m. Pacific Time (16:00 UTC) with Azure. Microsoft blamed an accidental configuration change in Azure Front Door, its content delivery network. The fault was global, not limited to one region.
Simultaneously, AWS reported widespread downtime, its second major incident in weeks. As the top cloud provider, AWS’s issues worsened the overall impact.
Services Taken Offline
Azure’s failure took down Microsoft 365, Office 365, Teams, and Xbox Live. Millions lost access to work tools and entertainment, including Minecraft servers. AWS disruptions hit hosted sites and apps.
Downdetector saw over 16,000 Azure complaints and 5,800 for AWS.
Impacts Across Industries
Retailers like Starbucks and Kroger faced site crashes. Banks including Capital One had access problems.
Airlines suffered, with Alaska Airlines’ website and check-ins failing, leading to delays. Hawaiian Airlines reported similar issues. Sports platforms for clubs like Aberdeen FC warned of login troubles.
Crypto services on AWS faltered, contrasting with decentralized options.
Recovery and Response
Microsoft rerouted traffic and reversed the change, monitoring without a firm timeline. AWS addressed problems in regions like US-EAST-1. Companies like Obsidian worked with providers on fixes.
Broader Implications for Cloud Reliance
The event highlights risks in relying on a few cloud giants, which manage over half of digital infrastructure. One error can cascade globally. It sparks calls for diversified hosting. Microsoft’s earnings report proceeds amid scrutiny.
