The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure consumer rights are upheld, as the airline continues to face flight cancellations following a global technology outage last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg emphasized, “All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld,” in a statement on social media. He noted that his department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the recent tech issues.
Delta, which is based in Atlanta, has struggled to return to normal operations days after a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike affected businesses worldwide. This update caused significant issues with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users unable to access their systems.
The incident impacted nearly every major industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. The airline sector experienced significant disruption, with over 46,000 flights delayed and 5,171 canceled on Friday alone, according to FlightAware, with Delta facing the brunt of the impact.
The airline canceled approximately 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday. Following this, Delta reported cancellations of more than 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday, with an additional 3,441 flights delayed. On Tuesday, 738 flights were either canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the disruptions in a statement on Sunday, 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. Delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how difficult it can be when your travels are disrupted.”
Bastian explained that Delta relies on a considerable number of applications that utilize Microsoft Windows, including a crucial tool for crew tracking that was hindered by the system failure. As a response, Delta has introduced a travel waiver to allow customers to change their flights without fees and has also provided meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.