The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is fulfilling its responsibilities to consumers following a series of flight cancellations linked to a global tech outage last week.
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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the rights of airline passengers, stating, “All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld.” This comes after Buttigieg acknowledged that his department has received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the outages.
Based in Atlanta, Delta has faced significant challenges in returning to normal operations following a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. This update, which took place late Thursday, adversely affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users without access to their systems and facing issues such as the “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident created widespread disruption across numerous industries, impacting healthcare providers, delivery firms, retailers, and financial institutions. Airlines were particularly hard hit; on Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed, with an additional 5,171 cancelations recorded, according to FlightAware. Delta experienced the greatest impact, resulting in the cancellation of approximately 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday, followed by the cancellation of more than 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday, alongside 3,441 delays. By Tuesday, 738 flights were reported either 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, reinforcing that Delta’s primary mission is to connect the world, and acknowledging the difficulty travelers experience due to disruptions.
Bastian noted that Delta relies heavily on Microsoft Windows for a variety of applications, including a tool for crew tracking that was unable to adjust to the changes caused by the system failure. In response to the situation, Delta has enacted a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights without a fee and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.