The Department of Transportation is investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure consumer rights are upheld amid ongoing flight cancellations following a recent global technology outage.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg emphasized the right of all airline passengers to fair treatment, noting on social media that his department had received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the situation.
Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, has faced significant operational challenges after a failed software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike on Thursday affected numerous businesses worldwide. The glitch disrupted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving corporate users with limited or no access to their systems, and in some cases, encountering the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident had widespread repercussions, impacting various sectors including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, with the airline industry particularly hard hit. On a single day, Friday, more than 46,000 flights were delayed and 5,171 canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta experiencing the most disruptions.
The airline reported cancelling around 3,500 flights during Friday and Saturday, followed by over 2,500 cancellations on Sunday and Monday, along with 3,441 delays. By Tuesday, Delta had already cancelled or delayed 738 flights.
Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, stated that canceling flights is not taken lightly and expressed apologies to affected passengers. He highlighted that the airline relies heavily on Microsoft Windows for numerous applications, including tools essential for crew tracking that could not adapt to the system disruptions.
In response to the situation, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no extra cost, as well as providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.