The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure proper care for consumers as the airline deals with an increased number of flight cancellations following a global tech outage last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg emphasized the right of airline passengers to fair treatment, stating on social media that his department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the situation caused by a software update mishap from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has faced challenges in resuming its operations after a flawed software update affected businesses worldwide, including a malfunction that disrupted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, causing significant access problems for corporate users.
The incident had widespread impact, influencing nearly every major industry, particularly healthcare, retail, delivery services, and financial institutions. The airline sector experienced severe disruptions, with over 46,000 flight delays and 5,171 cancellations reported on just Friday. Delta was particularly hard-hit, canceling approximately 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday.
The airline continued to face challenges, canceling more than 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday and delaying an additional 3,441 flights. As of Tuesday, FlightAware indicates that 738 more flights were either canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian addressed the situation, stating that canceling flights is a last resort and expressing apologies to those affected. He highlighted that many of Delta’s applications are reliant on Microsoft Windows, which contributed to the complications faced by the airline. In response, Delta is offering a travel waiver for customers and providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.