The Department of Transportation is conducting an investigation into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is adequately addressing consumer concerns following a series of flight cancellations stemming from a global technology outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for all airline passengers in a social media statement. He noted that his department had received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the situation.
Delta Air Lines, based in Atlanta, has faced challenges in fully resuming operations after a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike disrupted businesses worldwide on Thursday. This issue affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users without access to their systems and encountering severe technical errors.
The incident had widespread repercussions across various industries, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines, in particular, experienced significant disruptions, with more than 46,000 flights delayed and 5,171 canceled on Friday. Delta was one of the hardest-hit airlines.
The airline canceled around 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday, followed by more than 2,500 cancellations on Sunday and Monday and 3,441 additional delays. On Tuesday alone, 738 flights were either canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian acknowledged the difficulties caused by the cancellations, expressing regret for the impact on travelers. He stated that canceling flights is considered a last resort. Bastian pointed out that Delta relies on a substantial number of applications that utilize Microsoft Windows, which contributed to the complications they faced.
In light of the situation, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change flights without penalty, in addition to providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.