The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is adequately addressing consumer concerns following a series of flight cancellations linked to a global tech outage last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg expressed his commitment to consumer rights via social media, stating, “All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld.” Buttigieg noted that the department had received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s response to the outages.
Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, has faced significant operational challenges after a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike affected businesses globally. This update had critical issues that impacted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users dealing with system access problems, including the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident had a widespread impact across various industries, including healthcare, logistics, retail, and finance, with the airline sector being particularly hard hit. On a single day last Friday, over 46,000 flights were delayed, and more than 5,171 flights were canceled, according to data from FlightAware, with Delta suffering the most.
The airline reported canceling around 3,500 flights across its services on Friday and Saturday. Over the weekend, Delta canceled more than 2,500 flights and delayed an additional 3,441. On Tuesday alone, there were reports of 738 flights being canceled or delayed.
In response to the disruptions, Delta CEO Ed Bastian issued an apology to affected travelers, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly.” He emphasized the airline’s commitment to connecting people and acknowledged the difficulty caused by travel disruptions.
Bastian also highlighted that Delta relies on numerous applications using Microsoft Windows, including a crew tracking tool that was unable to process necessary changes due to the system outage. To assist affected customers, Delta has introduced a travel waiver allowing free flight changes, along with providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.