Delta Air Lines faced significant disruptions on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights as the airline worked to recover from a global software outage that had caused widespread grounding and delays over the previous weekend.
The Atlanta-based airline canceled 1,300 flights and delayed another 1,600 flights on Sunday alone, according to FlightAware data. This followed the cancellation of more than 3,500 flights by Delta and its regional partner, Delta Connection, between Friday and Saturday.
By 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had already canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, accounting for around 20% of its scheduled operations. In contrast, American Airlines canceled only 38 flights and delayed 155, which represents about 5% of its flights.
The disruptions were triggered by a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike that took place late Thursday night. This update adversely affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, disrupting access for many corporate users and causing issues such as the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
Various sectors, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, felt the impact of the software failure, but the airline industry suffered particularly, with over 46,000 flight delays and more than 5,171 cancellations reported on Friday alone. Delta was among the hardest hit.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret in a Sunday statement, emphasizing that canceling flights is a last resort. Bastian acknowledged the difficulties that disruptions cause for travelers and highlighted that Delta is dedicated to connecting people worldwide. He noted that a significant number of Delta’s applications rely on Microsoft Windows, including a critical crew tracking tool that could not handle the changes due to the software issues. Delta is offering travel waivers that allow customers to change their flight plans at no charge, along with meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.
In response to the chaos, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated late Sunday that his department received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the situation. He underscored that Delta must offer refunds, free rebooking options, and prompt reimbursements for expenses such as food and hotel stays for affected travelers. Buttigieg added that no one should be left stranded at an airport overnight or be forced to wait on hold for extended periods to reach customer service.