The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is properly addressing consumer needs following a series of flight cancellations linked to a global tech outage that occurred last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the rights of airline passengers in a statement, asserting that they deserve fair treatment. He mentioned that his department has received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the recent tech issues.
Delta, which is based in Atlanta, has struggled to return to normal operations after a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike affected companies worldwide. A flaw in this update had repercussions for Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users facing significant access issues.
The incident impacted various sectors, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and financial institutions, but airlines were particularly hard-hit. On a single day, over 46,000 flights were delayed, and another 5,171 were canceled. Delta faced the largest disruptions, canceling around 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday and subsequently over 2,500 more on Sunday and Monday, along with thousands of delays.
Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, acknowledged the challenges and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused. He noted that canceling flights is always a last resort for the airline. Bastian highlighted Delta’s reliance on Microsoft Windows for several critical applications, which contributed to their operational difficulties. In response, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no extra cost and is offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options to affected travelers.