The Department of Transportation is investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure that it is adequately addressing consumer needs after the airline faced numerous flight cancellations due to a global technology outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for airline passengers. He noted on social media that his department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s handling of the situation following the tech issues.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has struggled to restore full operations following a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike that occurred late Thursday and impacted businesses worldwide. The faulty update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users unable to access their systems and faced with errors such as the “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident affected nearly every major industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, with airlines and airports experiencing particularly significant disruptions. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed, and more than 5,171 flights were canceled, as reported by FlightAware, with Delta being notably affected.
Delta canceled approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday, followed by more than 2,500 cancellations on Sunday and Monday, and an additional 3,441 delays. As of Tuesday, FlightAware reported that 738 flights had been canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the flight cancellations, 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. 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 run on Microsoft Windows, including essential tools for crew tracking that were unable to adapt to the system shutdown. To support customers affected by the disruptions, Delta has issued a travel waiver allowing free flight changes, along with providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.