The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure that consumer rights are being upheld as the airline faces ongoing cancellations following a major global tech outage last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg expressed his commitment to upholding the rights of airline passengers via a social media statement, citing that his department received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s handling of the situation.
Based in Atlanta, Delta has faced significant operational challenges after a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike last Thursday disrupted businesses globally. This issue mainly affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users struggling with access and encountering critical failures.
The impact was widespread, affecting various sectors including healthcare, logistics, retail, and finance. However, airlines and airports were particularly hard hit; on Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed and around 5,171 were canceled according to FlightAware, with Delta being particularly affected.
Delta announced the cancellation of approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday. Over the following two days, the airline canceled more than 2,500 additional flights and delayed another 3,441. As of Tuesday, 738 flights were also reported as either canceled or delayed.
Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, addressed customers on Sunday, emphasizing that flight cancellations are not taken lightly. He extended apologies to those affected, expressing empathy for travel disruptions. Bastian noted that Delta relies on numerous applications using Windows, including essential crew-tracking tools that were compromised. In response, Delta has offered a travel waiver to allow customers to change flights at no cost, along with meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.