The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure that it is properly addressing consumer concerns in light of ongoing flight cancellations following a global tech outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized on social media that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment, vowing to uphold their rights. He also revealed that his department had received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the situation.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has faced challenges in resuming full operations after a problematic software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike disrupted businesses worldwide. This update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leading to corporate users encountering significant issues, including the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
Nearly every major sector was impacted by the outage, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, with airlines and airports suffering the most. On a single day, Friday, over 46,000 flights were delayed and 5,171 were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta experiencing the highest level of disruption.
The airline canceled approximately 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday, followed by more than 2,500 cancellations on Sunday and Monday, along with over 3,400 delays. As of Tuesday, the airline has already canceled or delayed 738 flights.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret for the disruptions, stating that canceling a flight is always a last resort. He assured affected travelers that the airline, which is dedicated to connecting the world, understands the challenges posed by travel disruptions.
Bastian noted that Delta relies on numerous applications that utilize Microsoft Windows, including a tool for crew tracking that was hindered by the system failure. In response to the situation, Delta has offered a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no additional cost, as well as meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.