The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure that the airline is adequately addressing consumer concerns following a series of flight cancellations spurred by a global technology outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for airline passengers in a statement on social media. He noted that the department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s handling of the situation resulting from the technology failures.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has been struggling to restore its operations fully after a faulty software update by the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike last Thursday. This update caused widespread issues, affecting various businesses globally. A defect in the update impacted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users unable to access their systems and facing the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident had extensive repercussions across numerous sectors, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, but the airline industry felt the impact most severely. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed while an additional 5,171 were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta facing the highest number of disruptions.
Delta reported that it canceled approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday. Over the following days, the airline canceled more than 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday while delaying another 3,441. By Tuesday, 738 flights had already been canceled or delayed.
In a statement on Sunday, Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret for the disruptions, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly.” He acknowledged the difficulties faced by travelers due to these events and affirmed Delta’s commitment to connecting the world.
Bastian explained that Delta relies heavily on a variety of applications running on Microsoft Windows, which includes vital tools for crew tracking that were unable to adapt to the system failures. To assist affected customers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing for free flight changes and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.