The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure the company is adequately addressing consumer needs amid ongoing flight cancellations following last week’s global technology outage.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the right of all airline passengers to fair treatment in a statement shared on social media. He noted that the department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the recent tech issues.
Delta Air Lines, based in Atlanta, has faced challenges in restoring full operations after a faulty software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike impacted numerous businesses worldwide. This update resulted in issues with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving affected corporate users without access and encountering significant disruptions.
The incident broadly affected various sectors, with airlines and airports experiencing particularly severe impacts. On one day alone, Friday, over 46,000 flights were delayed, and 5,171 were canceled, as reported by FlightAware, with Delta bearing the brunt of the disruptions.
Delta canceled approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday, and reports indicate that the airline canceled more than 2,500 additional flights on Sunday and Monday, while also delaying 3,441 flights. By Tuesday, another 738 flights had been either canceled or delayed.
Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, expressed regret for the disruptions caused, 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 also mentioned that Delta relies on a significant number of applications using Microsoft Windows, including a crew tracking tool that was unable to adapt to the changes caused by the system disruption. In response to the situation, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights without a fee, along with providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.