The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure consumer rights are protected, following the airline’s extensive flight cancellations linked to a global tech outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment and emphasized the importance of upholding this right. His comments came after the department received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the situation.
Delta Air Lines, based in Atlanta, has been struggling to restore normal operations after a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike on Thursday disrupted various businesses worldwide. The issue arose from a defect in the update that affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leading to significant access problems for corporate users.
The incident severely impacted multiple sectors including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, with airlines facing particularly severe consequences. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights experienced delays, and another 5,171 were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta being the most affected.
Delta canceled approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday, followed by more than 2,500 cancellations on Sunday and Monday, alongside about 3,441 delays. As of Tuesday, 738 additional flights faced cancellations or delays.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret for the disruptions caused, stating that flight cancellations are a last resort and not taken lightly. He recognized the challenges travelers face when their plans are interrupted and apologized to those affected. Bastian noted that Delta relies heavily on Microsoft Windows applications, including a critical tool for crew tracking that was unable to adapt to the system shutdown. In response, Delta is offering a travel waiver for customers to change flights at no cost, along with meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation support.