Delta Air Lines faced significant disruptions on Monday, continuing to grapple with the aftermath of a global software outage that had already grounded and delayed flights over the weekend. The airline canceled around 1,300 flights on Sunday and experienced 1,600 delays, according to FlightAware data. This weekend’s problems resulted in over 3,500 flight cancellations for Delta and its regional affiliate, Delta Connection, from Friday to Saturday.
By Monday morning, Delta reported cancelling 626 flights and delaying another 144, which accounted for approximately 20% of their scheduled operations for the day. In contrast, American Airlines managed to cancel only 38 flights and delayed 155, roughly 5% of their planned flights.
The turmoil was triggered by a flawed software update implemented by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike late Thursday, which inadvertently affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems. This issue not only impacted Delta but also created challenges for various sectors, including healthcare, retail, and financial institutions. Airlines were particularly hard hit, with more than 46,000 flights delayed and over 5,000 cancelled on Friday alone.
In a statement, Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret, noting that canceling flights is always a last resort. He assured customers that the disruption, which stemmed from a failure in a key crew tracking application, was taken seriously. To assist affected travelers, Delta has issued a travel waiver allowing free flight changes and has provided meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg highlighted the challenges faced by affected passengers, stating his department has received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s response to the situation. Buttigieg emphasized the importance of ensuring passengers are reimbursed and not left stranded.
Overall, while the immediate disruption is unfortunate, Delta’s quick acknowledgment and remedial offerings reflect their commitment to customer service and recovery. This situation emphasizes the importance of robust emergency protocols in the face of technological failures, encouraging other airlines to review their systems to ensure a similar crisis can be mitigated in the future.