The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure consumer rights are being upheld as the airline continues to experience flight cancellations following a significant global tech outage last week.
“All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld,” stated Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on social media Tuesday. He mentioned prior to this, his department received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the tech issues.
Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, has struggled to return to normal operations following a failed software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. This update, implemented last Thursday, negatively affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems worldwide, leaving many corporate users without access to their systems and dealing with issues such as the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident had a widespread impact, affecting almost every major industry including healthcare, retail, financial services, and more. However, airlines and airports faced the brunt of the disruption, with over 46,000 flights delayed and 5,171 canceled on just Friday, according to FlightAware. Delta experienced the most significant impact.
The airline reported canceling approximately 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday and over 2,500 additional cancellations from Sunday to Monday, along with 3,441 delays. As of Tuesday, Delta has already canceled or delayed 738 flights.
“Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian remarked in a statement on Sunday. “I want to apologize to everyone who has been affected by these events. Delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how challenging it can be when travel plans are disrupted.”
Bastian explained that Delta relies on a “significant number of applications” powered by Microsoft Windows, including tools for crew tracking that were rendered inoperable due to the system shutdown. To address the inconvenience caused, Delta has issued a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no additional cost, as well as providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.