The Department of Transportation is investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure consumer rights are being upheld as the airline continues to cancel flights following a significant global technology failure last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for airline passengers in a social media statement on Tuesday, confirming that his department has received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the tech outage.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has faced challenges in restoring normal operations after a software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike malfunctioned late Thursday. This issue affected Microsoft’s Windows systems, leaving many corporate users with inaccessible systems and experiencing the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The impact of this incident was widespread, affecting various industries including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, with airlines being particularly hard hit. On Friday alone, more than 46,000 flights were delayed, and 5,171 were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta experiencing the most disruption.
The airline reported canceling approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday. Additionally, over 2,500 flights were canceled on Sunday and Monday, with another 3,441 delays noted during the same period. As of Tuesday, 738 flights have already faced cancellations or delays.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian stated, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to everyone 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 noted that Delta relies on a variety of applications utilizing Microsoft Windows, including a crew tracking tool that was disrupted by the software issues. In response, Delta has issued a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights without penalty and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.