The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure that the airline is meeting the needs of consumers following a series of flight cancellations tied to a global tech outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for airline passengers, stating on social media that his department has received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the outage.
Based in Atlanta, Delta has faced challenges in fully resuming operations after a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike disrupted businesses worldwide. This update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, causing significant accessibility issues and leading to widespread system failures.
The tech incident had a major impact across various industries, with airlines and airports being particularly hard hit. On one day alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed and more than 5,171 were canceled, according to FlightAware. Delta reported that it canceled approximately 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday, followed by another 2,500 cancellations and over 3,400 delays on Sunday and Monday. As of Tuesday, 738 flights had also been canceled or delayed.
Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, acknowledged the difficulties faced by affected travelers, reaffirming that flight cancellations are a last resort. He apologized to customers impacted by the situation, stressing Delta’s commitment to facilitating global travel.
Bastian noted that Delta relies heavily on Microsoft Windows applications, which contributed to the problems experienced during the outage. In response, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no extra cost, along with offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation support.