The Department of Transportation is investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure the company is addressing consumer needs as it continues to cancel flights following last week’s global tech outage.
“All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld,” Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg stated on social media Tuesday. Buttigieg mentioned that his department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s handling of the tech issues.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has faced challenges resuming operations after a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike affected businesses globally late last Thursday. The defective update impacted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leading to corporate users losing system access and encountering the “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident impacted almost every major industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and financial institutions. However, airlines and airports were particularly affected: over 46,000 flights were delayed and another 5,171 were canceled on Friday alone, according to FlightAware, with Delta bearing the brunt of the disruptions.
Delta reported it canceled about 3,500 flights across its operations on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday and Monday, Delta canceled over 2,500 flights and delayed another 3,441, according to FlightAware. As of Tuesday, 738 flights had been canceled or delayed.
“Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement Sunday. “I want to apologize to everyone impacted by these events. Delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how difficult it can be when your travels are disrupted.”
Bastian explained that Delta has many applications that use Microsoft Windows, including a crew tracking tool that couldn’t handle the changes triggered by the system shutdown. Delta has issued a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights for free, along with providing meal vouchers, hotel rooms, and transportation.