The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure proper consumer protection as the airline faces ongoing flight cancellations following last week’s major tech outage.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated on social media that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment, and he is committed to ensuring these rights are upheld. He noted that the department has received hundreds of complaints regarding Delta’s response to the tech disruptions.
Delta, based in Atlanta, is working to resume normal operations days after a problematic software update initiated by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike affected various global businesses. This update encountered issues with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leading many corporate users to experience significant access problems, including the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The tech incident had widespread repercussions, impacting numerous sectors such as healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. The airline industry faced significant challenges, with over 46,000 flights delayed and more than 5,171 flights canceled last Friday alone, as reported by FlightAware. Delta, in particular, experienced severe disruptions.
The airline canceled approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday, followed by over 2,500 cancellations on Sunday and Monday, along with 3,441 additional delays. As of Tuesday, there have already been 738 flight cancellations and delays.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed his regret over the situation, emphasizing that canceling flights is a last resort and not taken lightly. He apologized to all those affected, noting that Delta’s mission is to connect people around the world and recognizing the difficulty caused by these travel disruptions.
Bastian also mentioned that Delta relies on a considerable number of applications that utilize Microsoft Windows, including tools for tracking crew schedules, which were unable to function properly due to the system shutdown. In response, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no extra cost, as well as providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.