The Department of Transportation is conducting an investigation into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is adequately addressing consumer concerns following a series of flight cancellations attributed to a recent global technology outage.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for all airline passengers in a statement on social media, announcing that his department had received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the situation.
Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, has faced challenges in restoring full operations after a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike last Thursday affected businesses worldwide. This update caused issues with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users unable to access their systems and facing significant disruptions.
The technology incident had wide-ranging effects across almost every major industry, including healthcare, retail, delivery services, and finance. Airlines and airports were particularly hard-hit, with over 46,000 flight delays and more than 5,171 cancellations reported on Friday alone, according to FlightAware. Delta experienced the most severe impact.
On Friday and Saturday, Delta canceled approximately 3,500 flights. FlightAware records indicate that the airline canceled over 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday, alongside more than 3,441 delays. As of Tuesday, the disruption continued with 738 flights canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian acknowledged the difficulties these cancellations posed to travelers and apologized to those affected, stating that canceling a flight is always a last resort. He indicated that Delta relies heavily on Microsoft Windows applications, including a tool for tracking crew schedules, which struggled due to the system outage.
In response to the disruptions, Delta has introduced a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no cost, in addition to providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.