The Department of Transportation is examining Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is addressing consumer needs, as it continues to experience flight cancellations following a recent global technology outage.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized on social media that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment, stating, “I will make sure that right is upheld.” He noted that his department had received a significant number of complaints regarding Delta’s response to the technical issues.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has faced difficulties in completely restoring operations days after a flawed software update from the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike affected numerous businesses worldwide. This update caused issues with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users without access to their systems and struggling with technical failures.
The disruption impacted nearly every major industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, but airlines and airports were particularly affected. On Friday, over 46,000 flights were delayed and 5,171 were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta bearing the brunt of the issues.
The airline canceled around 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday, followed by more than 2,500 cancellations and 3,441 delays on Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday alone, 738 flights were either canceled or delayed.
In a statement on Sunday, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said, “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 added that Delta relies on various applications that utilize Microsoft Windows, including crucial tools for tracking crew changes that were affected by the system failure. The airline has offered a travel waiver allowing customers to change flights without a fee, as well as meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.