The Department of Transportation is investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is fulfilling its obligations to customers, as the company continues to face flight cancellations following a major global technology outage last week.
In a related issue, McDonald’s is now contending with its first lawsuit linked to an E. coli outbreak associated with its Quarter Pounder burgers.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg addressed the situation on social media Tuesday, reiterating that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment. He mentioned that the department had received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the tech disruptions.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has struggled to restore full operations after a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike caused widespread issues, significantly affecting many businesses, including Delta. A flaw in the update led to problems with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, which left many corporate users without access to critical systems, experiencing issues like the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The disruptions impacted virtually every major industry, but airlines and airports were hit particularly hard. On a single day, Friday, there were over 46,000 flight delays and more than 5,171 cancellations, with Delta facing the brunt of the fallout.
The airline reported canceling approximately 3,500 flights over the course of Friday and Saturday. It subsequently canceled over 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday, and also delayed 3,441 flights. As of Tuesday, 738 flights had either been canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret for the disruptions, stating, “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.” He acknowledged that the airline relies on a variety of applications that utilize Microsoft Windows, including tools for crew tracking that were affected by the system failures.
To assist its customers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing passengers to change their flights for free, in addition to offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.