The U.S. Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is adequately addressing consumer concerns following a series of flight cancellations triggered by a global tech outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for all airline passengers, stating on social media that his department has received numerous complaints about Delta’s handling of the situation.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has faced significant operational challenges after a problematic software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike caused widespread disruptions. The faulty update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, resulting in many corporate users experiencing access issues and, in some cases, encountering critical errors often referred to as the “Blue Screen of Death.”
The outage disrupted nearly every major industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and financial sectors. The airline industry, particularly hard-hit, saw over 46,000 flights delayed and more than 5,000 canceled in just one day, according to FlightAware’s reporting. Delta experienced the most cancellations during this incident.
The airline reported canceling approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday, with over 2,500 cancellations occurring on Sunday and Monday, alongside nearly 3,500 additional delays. As of Tuesday, Delta had already canceled or delayed 738 flights.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed remorse over the disruptions, stating that the decision to cancel flights is not made lightly and that the airline understands the challenges faced by affected travelers. He acknowledged that a significant number of Delta’s applications rely on Microsoft Windows, including essential tools for crew tracking that were impacted by the system failure.
To assist customers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing passengers to change their flights at no extra cost, in addition to providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options for those affected.