The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure consumer rights are being upheld as the airline continues to face flight cancellations following a global tech outage last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg emphasized that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment, noting that his department has received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the situation.
Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, has been unable to restore full operations days after a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike impacted businesses worldwide. The update contained a defect affecting Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, which left many corporate users without access to their systems, with some even experiencing the “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident disrupted nearly every major industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines and airports experienced particularly severe consequences, with over 46,000 flights delayed and 5,171 canceled in just one day, according to FlightAware reports. Delta was among the hardest hit.
The airline canceled approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday, with an additional 2,500 flights canceled and 3,441 delayed on Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday alone, 738 flights were either canceled or delayed, FlightAware reported.
“Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly,” stated Delta CEO Ed Bastian. He extended an apology to all customers affected by these disruptions, acknowledging that Delta’s mission is to connect people worldwide and expressing understanding of the challenges caused by travel interruptions.
Bastian explained that Delta relies on various applications that use Microsoft Windows, including tools for crew tracking, which were unable to adapt to the system shutdown. To assist customers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing free flight changes, as well as providing meal vouchers, accommodations, and transportation.