The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is adequately addressing consumer concerns amid ongoing flight cancellations linked to last week’s global technology outage.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for airline passengers in a social media statement. He noted that his department had received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the situation related to the tech disruptions.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has been struggling to restore full operations following a problematic software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike that occurred late Thursday. This update caused widespread issues, particularly affecting Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users unable to access their systems and experiencing significant technical failures.
The incident had a broad impact across various sectors, including healthcare, retail, and finance, but airlines experienced the most significant repercussions. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights faced delays, and 5,171 were canceled, with Delta being the most severely impacted.
The airline reported approximately 3,500 flight cancellations over Friday and Saturday. By Sunday and Monday, Delta had canceled more than 2,500 additional flights and delayed around 3,441. On Tuesday, the cancellations and delays continued, with 738 flights affected according to FlightAware data.
In response, Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret for the disruptions, stating that cancelling flights is a last resort and not taken lightly. He acknowledged the challenges travelers face when their plans are altered due to such issues.
Bastian highlighted that Delta relies on several applications that utilize Microsoft Windows, particularly those pertinent to crew tracking, which were hampered by the system shutdown. To assist affected customers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing free flight changes, along with providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.