The Department of Transportation is examining Delta Air Lines to ensure it is properly addressing consumer rights as the airline continues to face cancellations following a global tech outage last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for airline passengers in a statement posted on social media Tuesday. He noted that the department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the outages.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has struggled to fully restore services days after a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike caused widespread disruptions. The update negatively affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users without access and leading to system crashes, commonly referred to as the “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident had a far-reaching impact, affecting various sectors including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines and airports experienced particularly severe disruptions, with over 46,000 flights delayed and more than 5,171 canceled on Friday alone, according to FlightAware. Delta faced the most significant repercussions.
The airline canceled approximately 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday. FlightAware reported that Delta canceled over 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday and delayed another 3,441 flights. By Tuesday, 738 flights had already been canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the cancellations, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly.” He apologized to those affected and affirmed Delta’s commitment to connecting the world, recognizing the challenges posed by travel disruptions.
Bastian pointed out that Delta relies on numerous applications that run on Microsoft Windows, including a tool for tracking crew operations that was unable to adapt to the system failures. In response, Delta has provided a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights without charge, alongside meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.