Dutch airline KLM said that a global computer outage has made “flight handling impossible” and is largely suspending its operations.

Airlines and airports around the globe have been affected by IT problems.

“KLM and other airlines and airports have been affected by a global computer outage, making flight handling impossible,” the airline said in a statement.

It added, “We realise that this is very inconvenient for our customers and staff, particularly in the midst of the summer holiday season.

“We’re working hard to resolve the problem. Until then, we will have to suspend operations largely.”

In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration has stopped flights by major airlines, such as United, American, and Delta.

German airports in Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Cologne-Bonn and Nuremberg reported various degrees of service disruptions.

(dpa/NAN)