The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is prioritizing consumer care as it continues to face flight cancellations following a global technology outage last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg emphasized the rights of airline passengers in a social media statement on Tuesday, noting that his department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the tech issues.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has struggled to return to normal operations after a problematic software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike affected businesses worldwide. A flaw in the update disrupted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving corporate users unable to access their systems and dealing with significant failures.
The outage impacted nearly every major industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, but airlines and airports were among the hardest hit. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights experienced delays, and more than 5,000 were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta facing the greatest difficulties.
Delta reported that it canceled approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday. It subsequently canceled over 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday, alongside 3,441 delays. On Tuesday, 738 flights were either canceled or delayed, according to FlightAware.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian commented on the situation, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to everyone impacted by these events. Delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how difficult it can be when travel plans are disrupted.”
Bastian noted that Delta relies heavily on Microsoft Windows for several applications, including one for tracking crew schedules, which was unable to adapt to the abrupt system shutdown. To assist affected customers, Delta has issued a travel waiver, allowing free flight changes, and has provided meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.