BA’s global IT crash was “human error”

WE’VE ALL DONE it at some point. That plug you pulled out the socket: you thought you were disconnecting the vacuum cleaner, but an anguished cry makes you realise you have just turned the TV off. Not many of us, though, have inconvenienced 75,000 people with one misguided flick of a switch.

Apparently that’s what one hapless IT engineer achieved at British Airways over bank holiday weekend. It wasn’t when the anonymous engineer switched the power off – it was when he or she switched it back on again that the problem occurred. The electricity surging back into the system gave it the computer equivalent of tummy ache and it went off for a lie down – leaving planes, passengers and their luggage in turmoil.

It was Willie Walsh, Chief Exec of International Airlines Group (IAG) – BA’s holding company – who spilled the beans. He was speaking at the airline industry conference in Mexico – and delivered the news the airline world had been waiting for. He admitted it was difficult to understand how the mistake had occurred, and said the engineer was not authorised to turn power off and on again.

The admission stunned independent experts – who expressed astonishment that BA did not have enough back up systems to cope with a power surge. Domestic computer users are always advised to obtain a circuit breaker to guard against a power surge. It costs a few quid down at Argos. Why would one of the world’s major airlines not obtain protection?

The GMB trade union, which has many members in BA, had accused Alex Cruz, BA’s new Chief Exec, of outsourcing IT provision to save money – leading to the loss of several experienced IT workers and an inevitable major breakdown. BA has denied the claim – and Walsh has indicated that he, and IAG, continue to have faith in Cruz.

Walsh promised the company would call in independent investigators to help it learn lessons from the mishap. Given how much compensation is likely to cost BA, it is not surprising that IAG bosses don’t want to see a repeat performance anytime soon.

The IT helpdesk in the hit TV programme the IT Crowd was famous for responding to requests for help by telling staff to “try turning it off and on again”. This must be the first time that turning it off and on again actually caused the problem rather than being a possible solution.

•Read more about it:
BA IT crash: is outsourcing to blame?
https://eastlondonnews.co.uk/ba-it-crash-is-outsourcing-to-blame/

[Adverts]