The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure consumer rights are being upheld, as the airline faces ongoing issues related to flight cancellations stemming from a recent global tech outage.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized on social media that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment. He noted the department has received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the situation after a significant software error occurred due to an update by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike.
Delta, based in Atlanta, is struggling to return to normal operations days after a faulty software update affected various businesses globally. This issue also impacted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users unable to access their systems, experiencing technical problems like the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The widespread tech failure affected nearly every major industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, with airlines facing particularly severe disruptions. On Friday, more than 46,000 flights were delayed, and an additional 5,171 were canceled, with Delta being the airline most negatively affected.
On Friday and Saturday alone, Delta canceled approximately 3,500 flights. Reports from FlightAware indicate that the airline canceled over 2,500 flights and delayed another 3,441 on Sunday and Monday. Additionally, 738 flights have been canceled or delayed on Tuesday so far.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian issued an apology to passengers affected by these disruptions, stating that canceling flights is always a last resort. He acknowledged the difficulties travelers face when their plans are interrupted, and he highlighted that Delta relies heavily on various applications that utilize Microsoft Windows, including a crew tracking tool which was impacted by the outage.
To assist customers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing passengers to change their flights at no cost and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.