The U.S. Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines following numerous flight cancellations tied to a recent global technology failure. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for all airline passengers, citing the department’s receipt of hundreds of complaints regarding Delta’s response to the outages.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has faced challenges in restoring its operations after a software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike caused widespread disruptions affecting various industries, including airlines, after impacting Microsoft’s Windows operating systems. As a result, corporate users experienced significant access issues, including the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The technology failure affected nearly every major sector, with airlines being notably impacted. On just one day, over 46,000 flights experienced delays and more than 5,000 were canceled, with Delta bearing the brunt of the fallout.
The airline reported approximately 3,500 canceled flights during Friday and Saturday alone, followed by more than 2,500 cancellations and over 3,400 delays on Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday, another 738 flights faced cancellations or delays.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian acknowledged the inconvenience caused, stating that canceling flights is a last resort and offering apologies to affected passengers. He noted that the airline utilizes many applications dependent on Microsoft Windows, including crucial crew tracking systems. Delta has since announced a travel waiver, allowing customers to change flights without penalty, alongside provisions for meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.