Delta Air Lines grounded hundreds of flights on Monday as it continued to deal with the aftermath of a global software failure that disrupted air travel over the weekend.
The Atlanta-based airline canceled 1,300 flights on Sunday and delayed another 1,600, as reported by FlightAware. This followed the cancellation of over 3,500 Delta and Delta Connection flights from Friday to Saturday.
As of approximately 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, constituting about 20% of its scheduled operations. For context, American Airlines reported only 38 cancellations and 155 delays, translating to about 5% of its plans.
The source of Delta’s disruption was a faulty software update from CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm, which was applied late Thursday. The error affected Microsoft Windows systems, leaving many corporate users unable to access their systems, with some experiencing the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
Various industries faced repercussions from this incident, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines, particularly Delta, were particularly hard hit, with over 46,000 flights delayed and more than 5,171 canceled on Friday alone.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the situation, emphasizing that flight cancellations are a last resort. He stated, “I want to apologize to everyone impacted by these events,” and stressed Delta’s commitment to connecting people globally.
Bastian noted that many of Delta’s applications rely on Microsoft Windows, including crew tracking systems that were unable to adapt to the shutdown. To assist affected travelers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing free changes to flights and has offered meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg indicated on social media that his department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s management of the situation. He urged Delta to ensure refunds, free rebooking, and prompt reimbursements for affected passengers’ food and accommodation expenses.
Buttigieg added, “No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent.”