The Department of Transportation is currently looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is upholding consumer rights, following a series of flight cancellations that arose from a global tech outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for airline passengers in a social media statement on Tuesday. He mentioned that his department had received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s response to the disruptions caused by the tech issues.
Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, has been struggling to resume normal operations after a flawed software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which occurred late Thursday. This update negatively impacted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, preventing many corporate users from accessing their systems.
The incident had a wide-ranging effect on multiple sectors, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. However, airlines faced severe repercussions, with over 46,000 flight delays and more than 5,171 cancellations reported on Friday alone, according to FlightAware. Delta was particularly affected, canceling approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday. It also canceled more than 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday, alongside 3,441 delays. As of Tuesday, there were an additional 738 flights that experienced cancellations or delays.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian stated that canceling flights is always a last resort and expressed apologies to those affected by the situation. He acknowledged the airline’s responsibility in facilitating global travel and the challenges faced by passengers due to these disruptions.
Bastian explained that a significant number of Delta’s applications rely on Microsoft Windows, which impacted key operations, including a crew-tracking tool that failed to adjust during the system shutdown. In response, Delta has rolled out a travel waiver that allows customers to change their flights at no additional cost, along with providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.