The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is properly addressing passenger concerns following a series of flight cancellations linked to a recent global technology failure.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg took to social media on Tuesday to affirm that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment. He noted that his department has received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the recent outages.
Delta Air Lines, based in Atlanta, has faced significant operational challenges after a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike affected various sectors worldwide last week. This update especially disrupted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users unable to access their systems, with some experiencing what’s known as the “Blue Screen of Death.”
The tech incident impacted nearly every major industry, especially airlines and airports, which faced considerable disruptions. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed and approximately 5,171 were canceled, as reported by FlightAware, with Delta being particularly affected.
The airline canceled around 3,500 flights over the weekend, while also reporting the cancellation of more than 2,500 flights and delays to 3,441 others on Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday, the disruptions continued with 738 flights either canceled or delayed.
Delta’s CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret for the disruptions, 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.” He added that Delta heavily relies on Microsoft Windows for numerous applications, including tools for crew tracking, which were affected by the system failure. In response to the situation, Delta has issued a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no cost and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.