The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to verify that the airline is properly addressing consumer concerns following a series of flight cancellations stemming from a global technology failure last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg stated on social media that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment and he is committed to ensuring that this right is honored. He noted that his department has received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the technical outages.
Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, has faced significant challenges in resuming normal operations after a malfunction during a software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike impacted businesses worldwide late Thursday. The flawed update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, rendering corporate users unable to access their systems and, in some instances, encountering the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The tech incident had widespread repercussions across numerous industries, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines were particularly hard hit, with over 46,000 flights delayed and more than 5,171 canceled on a single Friday, according to FlightAware, with Delta experiencing the most significant disruptions.
Delta reported that it canceled approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday. Over the weekend, the airline canceled over 2,500 more flights and delayed an additional 3,441. By Tuesday, 738 flights had already been canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret regarding the situation in a statement on Sunday, explaining that canceling flights is always considered a last resort. He apologized to customers affected by the disruptions, emphasizing Delta’s mission to connect people and acknowledging the difficulties caused by travel interruptions.
Bastian noted that Delta relies on a “significant number of applications” utilizing Microsoft Windows, including tools for tracking crew members, which were unable to adapt to changes due to the system failures. To assist impacted travelers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing passengers to change their flights without fee, as well as providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.