Delta Air Lines faced significant challenges on Monday, having to cancel hundreds of flights as it continued to recover from a global software outage that left many travelers stranded over the weekend.
On Sunday alone, the Atlanta-based airline canceled 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600, with earlier disruptions leading to over 3,500 cancellations and delays from Friday to Saturday. By Monday morning, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, impacting about 20% of its scheduled operations. In contrast, American Airlines reported just 38 canceled flights and 155 delays, equivalent to around 5% of its flights.
The turmoil originated from a problematic software update executed by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems late Thursday. This left numerous corporate users, including airlines, cut off from their systems and caused widespread operational issues.
The incident had a ripple effect across nearly all major industries, with healthcare, delivery, retail, and finance also experiencing disruptions. The airline sector was particularly hard-hit, with over 46,000 flights delayed and more than 5,171 cancellations reported on Friday, with Delta suffering the most.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the disruptions, emphasizing that canceling flights is a last resort. He acknowledged the difficulties faced by travelers and mentioned that the airline is committed to restoring operations. Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no additional cost, in addition to providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg highlighted that his department received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s management of the situation, urging the airline to offer refunds, free rebooking, and timely reimbursements for affected customers. He stressed that no traveler should be left stranded overnight at airports or have to wait excessively to reach customer service.