Delta Air Lines faced significant operational challenges on Monday after the airline canceled hundreds of flights due to a lingering impact from a global software outage. This disruption began shortly after a failed software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, which affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems.
On Sunday alone, Delta canceled approximately 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600 others, as reported by FlightAware. Over the preceding Friday and Saturday, the airline had already canceled more than 3,500 flights under its Delta and Delta Connection brands.
By around 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta reported 626 canceled flights and 144 delays, accounting for about 20% of its scheduled operations for the day. In contrast, American Airlines only experienced 38 cancellations and 155 delays, roughly 5% of its planned flights.
The software update issue had far-reaching effects across various sectors, including healthcare, retail, and finance, but the airline industry was particularly hard-hit. On Friday, more than 46,000 flights were delayed and over 5,000 canceled due to the incident, with Delta experiencing the most cancellations.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the situation, stating that canceling flights is a last resort, and apologized to those affected. He mentioned that many of Delta’s operational applications depend on Microsoft Windows, including critical tools needed for crew management. To assist impacted customers, Delta has issued a travel waiver allowing free flight changes, along with meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg noted that his department received numerous complaints concerning Delta’s response to the disruptions, urging the airline to ensure refunds, offer free rebooking, and provide timely reimbursements for meals and accommodations. He emphasized that customers should not be left stranded at airports or have to wait excessively to reach customer service.