Delta Air Lines canceled hundreds of flights on Monday as the company continues to recover from a global software outage that grounded and delayed flights worldwide for three days.
On Sunday alone, Delta canceled 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600 according to FlightAware. Over the weekend, the airline had already canceled more than 3,500 total flights, including those operated by Delta Connection.
By around 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed another 144, representing approximately 20% of its scheduled operations for the day. In contrast, American Airlines only canceled 38 flights and delayed 155, or about 5% of its operations.
Delta’s challenges arose from a faulty software update conducted by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike late Thursday night. A defect in this update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users without access to their systems and facing issues like the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident disrupted nearly every major industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, but airlines and airports were particularly hard hit. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights experienced delays and more than 5,171 were canceled, with Delta bearing the brunt of the impact.
Delta’s CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret in a statement, emphasizing that canceling flights is always a last resort. He apologized to those affected, stating, “Delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how difficult it can be when your travels are disrupted.”
Bastian explained that Delta relies on a “significant number of applications” that utilize Microsoft Windows, including a tool essential for crew tracking that could not process changes due to the system outage. The airline has since issued a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights free of charge, and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg commented late Sunday on social media, noting that his department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s handling of the situation. He emphasized that Delta is required to offer refunds, free rebooking options, and prompt reimbursements for food and hotel expenses incurred by affected passengers. Buttigieg stressed that passengers should not find themselves stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for extended periods trying to reach customer service.