Delta Air Lines faced significant disruptions on Monday as it canceled hundreds of flights, grappling with the aftermath of a global software failure that began affecting operations three days earlier.
The Atlanta-based airline reported the cancellation of 1,300 flights and 1,600 delays on Sunday alone, based on data from FlightAware. The total impact included over 3,500 Delta and Delta Connection flights canceled between Friday and Saturday.
By Monday morning, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed another 144, constituting about 20% of its scheduled operations. In contrast, American Airlines had only canceled 38 flights and delayed 155, which was roughly 5% of its planned services.
The disruptions were a result of a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which was implemented late Thursday. The update caused issues with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving corporate users unable to access their systems and, in some cases, faced with the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
Several industries, including healthcare, logistics, retail, and finance, experienced repercussions from the outage, but airlines and airports endured the brunt of the impact. On Friday, more than 46,000 flights were delayed, while an additional 5,171 flights were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta being the most affected.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the cancelations, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to every one of you who have been impacted by these events.” Bastian noted that Delta relies heavily on Microsoft Windows for many applications, including a crew tracking tool that failed to adapt to the system shutdown.
To assist affected travelers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing free flight changes, alongside offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.
Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg highlighted that his department had received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the situation. He emphasized that the airline is required to provide refunds and free rebooking, as well as timely reimbursements for meals and hotel expenses incurred by stranded passengers.
Buttigieg stated, “No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent.”