The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure it is meeting consumer needs amid ongoing flight cancellations resulting from last week’s global tech outage.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated on social media that all airline passengers are entitled to fair treatment, and he is committed to upholding that right. Buttigieg noted that the department has received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the tech issues.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has faced challenges in fully resuming operations after a flawed software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which occurred late Thursday. This defect affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leading corporate users to lose access to their systems and encounter issues such as the “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident impacted nearly every major industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines, particularly, were severely affected: over 46,000 flights were delayed and more than 5,171 were canceled on Friday alone, as reported by FlightAware, with Delta being the most affected.
Delta announced that it canceled approximately 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday. Additionally, it canceled over 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday and delayed another 3,441. By Tuesday, 738 flights had also been canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the situation, explaining that canceling a flight is always a last resort. He emphasized the difficulties faced by travelers due to these disruptions. Bastian mentioned that Delta relies on a significant number of applications utilizing Microsoft Windows, including a crew tracking tool that could not adjust to the shutdown. To assist affected customers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing free flight changes and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.