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 attributed to a global tech outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg expressed on social media that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment, and he is committed to upholding that right. He noted that the department has received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the situation following the tech disruptions.
Delta Air Lines, based in Atlanta, has faced challenges in resuming full operations after a flawed software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike impacted various businesses globally. This update caused significant issues with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leading many corporate users to experience system access problems, including the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The outage affected nearly every major industry, with significant disruptions experienced by healthcare providers, delivery services, retailers, and financial institutions. However, the airline sector faced the brunt of the impact; on a single day, over 46,000 flights were delayed, and more than 5,000 flights were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta at the forefront of these disruptions.
Delta reported around 3,500 flight cancellations across its operations on the days following the tech issue and more than 2,500 cancellations over the following weekend. By Tuesday, 738 flights had already been canceled or delayed.
In response to the crisis, Delta CEO Ed Bastian emphasized that canceling flights is a last resort and not a decision made lightly. He offered apologies to those affected by the disruptions, acknowledging the challenges travelers face when plans are altered unexpectedly.
Bastian revealed that Delta relies on numerous applications utilizing Microsoft Windows, including a crucial crew tracking tool that was unable to process necessary changes following the tech failure. To assist affected customers, Delta is providing a travel waiver to allow free flight changes, along with meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation services.