The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure that the airline is taking appropriate measures to protect consumers after experiencing a series of flight cancellations stemming from a global tech outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the rights of airline passengers in a social media statement, asserting, “All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld.” He indicated that the department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the technology issues.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has faced challenges in resuming normal operations following a problematic software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. This update, implemented late Thursday, disrupted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems worldwide, impacting numerous businesses and leaving many users facing technical difficulties.
The disruption affected nearly all sectors, with airlines and airports experiencing the most significant consequences. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed, and an additional 5,171 were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta being particularly impacted.
Delta reported the cancellation of roughly 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday. The airline canceled more than 2,500 additional flights on Sunday and Monday and experienced almost 3,441 delays. On Tuesday, 738 flights were either canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian stated, “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.” He acknowledged the difficulties faced by travelers when their plans are disrupted and noted that Delta relies heavily on a variety of applications using Microsoft Windows, including essential tools for crew tracking, which were affected by the outage.
To assist passengers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no cost, in addition to providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation support.