The U.S. Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure it is adequately addressing consumer issues following a series of flight cancellations linked to a global technology outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for airline passengers in a social media statement on Tuesday. He noted that the department has received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the outages caused by a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.
Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, has faced challenges in restoring normal operations after the software update negatively affected Microsoft’s Windows systems, disrupting access for numerous corporate clients and leading to widespread tech failures.
The incident impacted multiple industries, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, with the airline sector suffering extensive disruptions. On a single day, Friday, over 46,000 flights were delayed and more than 5,000 were canceled, as reported by FlightAware, with Delta experiencing the most significant effects.
The airline canceled approximately 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday and saw cancellations of over 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday, alongside 3,441 delays. By Tuesday, there had already been 738 additional cancellations or delays.
Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, stated that canceling flights is considered a last resort and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to affected passengers. He explained that many of Delta’s operations rely on Microsoft Windows applications, including a vital tool for tracking crew changes that was rendered inoperable due to the outage. In response, Delta is offering a travel waiver for customers wishing to change flight plans at no cost, as well as providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.