Delta Air Lines canceled hundreds of flights on Monday as the airline continues to face challenges recovering from a global software outage that affected travel worldwide for three days.
On Sunday alone, Delta canceled 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600, according to FlightAware data. The airline had already canceled over 3,500 flights, including Delta and Delta Connection flights, between Friday and Saturday.
As of approximately 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, which represented around 20% of its scheduled operations. In contrast, American Airlines reported only 38 canceled flights and 155 delays, about 5% of its planned flights.
The disruptions began after a flawed software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike late Thursday night. A problem with the update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, preventing many corporate users from accessing their systems, with some experiencing the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The fallout from the incident impacted nearly every major sector, including healthcare providers, delivery services, retail, and financial institutions, but airlines and airports were hit particularly hard. On that Friday alone, there were over 46,000 flight delays and 5,171 cancellations, as per FlightAware, with Delta suffering the most significant setbacks.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret in a statement on Sunday, emphasizing that canceling flights is a last resort. He extended apologies to those impacted by the disruptions, noting that Delta’s mission is to connect the world and acknowledging the difficulties caused by travel interruptions.
Bastian indicated that Delta operates a large number of applications reliant on Microsoft Windows, including tools essential for crew tracking, which struggled due to the system failure. In response, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing affected customers to change their flights at no cost, in addition to providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg shared on social media that his department received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the situation. He emphasized the need for Delta to ensure refunds, free rebooking options, and timely reimbursements for meals and accommodations for those affected.
Buttigieg further asserted that no one should have to spend a night stranded at an airport or endure long wait times to speak with customer service representatives.