The Department of Transportation is conducting an investigation into Delta Air Lines to ensure that the airline is treating its consumers fairly, following a series of flight cancellations triggered by a global tech outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg issued a statement on social media on Tuesday emphasizing that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment. He noted that the department has received “hundreds of complaints” related to Delta’s response to the tech issues.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has faced significant challenges in returning to normal operations after a flawed software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike last Thursday affected numerous businesses worldwide. This defect notably impacted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, causing corporate users to lose access to their systems and experience issues such as the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident had a widespread effect across various industries, including healthcare, retail, delivery services, and financial institutions. However, the airline sector faced the brunt of the fallout, with over 46,000 flights delayed and 5,171 canceled on Friday alone, according to FlightAware. Delta experienced the most significant disruption, with approximately 3,500 flights canceled on Friday and Saturday. Over the following days, Delta canceled more than 2,500 flights and delayed another 3,441 on Sunday and Monday. By Tuesday, 738 flights had already been canceled or delayed.
Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta, 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 explained that Delta relies on a “significant number of applications” that utilize Microsoft Windows, including a tool for tracking crew schedules, which was unable to adapt to the changes caused by the system failure. To support affected travelers, Delta has introduced a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights without penalty, as well as providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.