The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure consumer protection as the airline faces ongoing flight cancellations following a global tech outage last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for airline passengers, stating on social media, “All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld.” Buttigieg mentioned that the department has received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the outage.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has been struggling to restore full operations after a software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike went awry last Thursday, disrupting businesses worldwide. This issue led to a malfunction in Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, affecting corporate access to systems and causing some users to encounter the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident had a widespread impact, affecting various industries, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines faced particularly severe disruptions, with over 46,000 flights delayed and another 5,171 canceled on Friday alone, according to FlightAware, with Delta being the most affected.
On Friday and Saturday, Delta canceled approximately 3,500 flights. The airline reported more than 2,500 cancellations on Sunday and Monday, along with 3,441 delays. As of Tuesday, 738 flights had either been canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian addressed the situation, saying, “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 noted that Delta relies on a significant number of applications that utilize Microsoft Windows, including tools for tracking crew changes which were affected by the system outage. In response, Delta has provided a travel waiver allowing customers to change flights at no cost, along with meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.