Delta Air Lines faced significant disruptions on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights as the airline continued to deal with challenges following a global software outage that occurred three days earlier.
The Atlanta-based airline reported the cancellation of 1,300 flights on Sunday and delays for another 1,600, as indicated by FlightAware. Earlier, Delta had canceled more than 3,500 flights under both its Delta and Delta Connection brands between Friday and Saturday.
By Monday morning at approximately 8 a.m. ET, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, which accounted for around 20% of its scheduled operations. In contrast, American Airlines reported only 38 flight cancellations and 155 delays, representing about 5% of its planned operations.
The root of Delta’s troubles can be traced back to a flawed software update by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, carried out late Thursday. This update adversely affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, resulting in corporate users losing access to essential system functionalities, with some facing the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The impact of the incident was wide-reaching, affecting nearly every major industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines and airports were particularly hard hit, with over 46,000 flights delayed and an additional 5,171 cancellations reported on Friday alone, according to FlightAware, with Delta being the most affected.
Delta’s CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the situation, emphasizing that canceling flights is a last resort for the airline. He apologized to those impacted by the disruptions, recognizing the frustration caused by travel interruptions.
Bastian noted that Delta relies heavily on Microsoft Windows for various applications, including a crew tracking tool that could not accommodate the changes that followed the system breakdown. To assist customers during this turmoil, Delta announced a travel waiver allowing free flight changes and provided meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Furthermore, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg communicated on social media that his department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s management of the disruptions. He emphasized that Delta should offer refunds, free rebooking options, and prompt reimbursements for affected customers’ food and lodging expenses. Buttigieg also insisted that no one should be left stranded overnight at an airport or forced to wait excessively for customer service assistance.