The Department of Transportation is examining Delta Air Lines to ensure consumer rights are upheld as the airline continues to cancel flights following a global technology outage last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg asserted on social media on Tuesday that “all airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly,” reinforcing his commitment to uphold that right. He noted that the department has received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s handling of the situation caused by the technological failures.
Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, has faced significant challenges in resuming normal operations after a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike late Thursday disrupted businesses globally. This update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving numerous corporate users without access to their systems, and, in certain cases, confronting the dreaded “Blue Screen of Death.”
The impact was widespread, affecting various industries including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. The airline industry was particularly hard-hit; on one day alone, over 46,000 flights faced delays, with more than 5,171 cancellations reported, according to FlightAware, and Delta suffered the most extensive disruptions.
The airline announced the cancellation of approximately 3,500 flights across its network over Friday and Saturday. FlightAware reported that Delta canceled over 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday, in addition to delaying 3,441 others. On Tuesday alone, 738 flights were either canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed his regrets, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to every one of you who have been impacted by these events. Delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how difficult it can be when your travels are disrupted.”
Bastian highlighted that Delta relies on a “significant number of applications” running on Microsoft Windows, which includes a tool for crew tracking that was unable to process necessary changes due to the system issues. In response, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no cost, along with offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.