The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure proper treatment of consumers as the airline faces ongoing flight cancellations following a global tech outage last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg stressed the importance of fair treatment for airline passengers, stating on social media, “All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld.” This announcement came after Buttigieg revealed that his department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s handling of the tech disruptions.
Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, has struggled to resume normal operations after a flawed software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike led to global business interruptions. The update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, resulting in substantial downtime for corporate users.
The outage impacted various sectors, notably healthcare, retail, and finance. However, the airline industry suffered significantly, with over 46,000 flight delays and more than 5,171 cancellations reported on Friday alone, according to FlightAware, with Delta being the most affected airline.
Over the weekend, Delta canceled approximately 3,500 flights, and by Sunday and Monday, the airline scrapped over 2,500 more flights and delayed another 3,441. On Tuesday, the disruption continued, with 738 flights canceled or delayed, as per FlightAware data.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the situation, saying, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to every one of you who have been impacted by these events.” He acknowledged that Delta relies heavily on Microsoft Windows for various applications, including tools for crew tracking, which were unable to function correctly following the system outages. To alleviate customer frustration, Delta has issued travel waivers allowing for free flight changes and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.