The Department of Transportation is currently looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure that the airline is adequately addressing consumer concerns following a series of flight cancellations that occurred after a global tech outage last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for airline passengers, stating, “All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld.” He noted that his department has received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the technical disruptions.
Delta Air Lines, headquartered in Atlanta, has faced challenges in resuming normal operations after a flawed software update by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike last Thursday severely affected businesses worldwide. This issue particularly impacted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, which left corporate users struggling with system access, often encountering the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident caused widespread disruptions across various sectors, affecting healthcare services, delivery companies, retailers, and financial institutions, with the airline industry experiencing the most significant impact. On the Friday following the outage, over 46,000 flights were delayed and another 5,171 were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta suffering the worst of the impacts.
Delta reported that it canceled approximately 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday. The airline continued to face issues, canceling more than 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday while delaying an additional 3,441. By Tuesday, there were already 738 flights canceled or delayed, as reported by FlightAware.
In a statement on Sunday, Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret for the disruptions, saying, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to every one of you who have been impacted by these events. Delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how difficult it can be when your travels are disrupted.”
Bastian further explained that Delta utilizes a significant number of applications reliant on Microsoft Windows, including one that manages crew tracking, which was unable to adjust due to the system failure. In response to the situation, Delta has offered a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no cost, as well as providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.