The Department of Transportation is conducting an investigation into Delta Air Lines to ensure that the airline is adequately addressing consumer needs following the numerous flight cancellations stemming from a global technology outage last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for all airline passengers in a social media statement on Tuesday. He noted that his department has received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s handling of the situation caused by the tech failure.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has faced challenges in returning to normal operations after a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike impacted global business operations last Thursday. A flaw in this update affected Microsoft’s Windows systems, leaving many corporate users unable to access essential services and experiencing issues such as the “Blue Screen of Death.”
The outage disrupted nearly every major industry, including healthcare, retail, delivery, and financial services. Airlines and airports, however, suffered the most significant impact, with over 46,000 flight delays and more than 5,171 cancellations reported on Friday alone, according to FlightAware, with Delta being the hardest hit.
Delta canceled around 3,500 flights during Friday and Saturday. FlightAware reports that the airline also called off more than 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday, with an additional 3,441 delays. As of Tuesday, 738 flights have already been affected.
In response to the disruptions, Delta CEO Ed Bastian stated on Sunday, “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 noted that Delta relies heavily on Microsoft Windows applications, including a crew tracking system that was unable to function due to the outage. To mitigate the impact on customers, Delta has issued a travel waiver allowing free changes to flights and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.