The U.S. Department of Transportation is probing Delta Air Lines to ensure it is adequately addressing consumer needs following a series of flight cancellations stemming from a global technology outage last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg affirmed on social media that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment and emphasized his commitment to upholding that right. He noted that his department had received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s response to the tech issues.
Atlanta-based Delta has been struggling to return to normal operations following a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. This update, implemented late Thursday, adversely affected businesses globally, particularly impacting Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, which left many corporate users unable to access essential systems, experiencing issues like the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The outage disrupted nearly every major industry, including healthcare, retail, delivery services, and financial institutions, but the aviation sector suffered particularly. On Friday alone, there were more than 46,000 flight delays and over 5,000 cancellations, according to FlightAware, with Delta experiencing the most significant impact.
Delta reported canceling approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday. Over the weekend, the airline canceled more than 2,500 flights and delayed an additional 3,441 on Sunday and Monday. As of Tuesday, 738 flights had also been canceled or delayed.
In a statement, Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret for the difficulties faced by travelers, emphasizing that canceling flights is a last resort. He reassured passengers that Delta aims to connect the world and understands the challenges posed by travel interruptions.
Bastian further explained that Delta relies on a substantial number of applications that use Microsoft Windows, including a tool for tracking crew schedules, which has been affected by the shutdown. In response to the disruptions, Delta has put in place a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights without charge and is offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.