The Department of Transportation is currently examining Delta Air Lines to ensure the company is adequately addressing consumer needs amid ongoing flight cancellations stemming from a global tech outage that occurred last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized on social media that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment, pledging to uphold that right. He noted that his department had received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s response to the outages caused by a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.
Delta, which is based in Atlanta, has faced challenges in resuming normal operations following a problematic software update that impacted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems. This malfunction left many corporate users without access to their systems and resulted in the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The tech incident affected numerous industries, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. However, airlines and airports were particularly hard-hit, with FlightAware reporting over 46,000 flight delays and 5,171 cancellations on Friday alone, with Delta being most adversely affected.
Delta announced it canceled approximately 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday, with more than 2,500 additional cancellations reported on Sunday and Monday, alongside over 3,400 delays. As of Tuesday, the airline recorded 738 flight cancellations or delays.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the situation in a statement, underscoring that canceling flights is a last resort. He apologized for the disruptions, acknowledging the difficulties faced by travelers during these challenging times.
Bastian revealed that Delta relies on a significant number of applications utilizing Microsoft Windows, including tools for crew tracking that were hindered by the system failure. To assist affected customers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver permitting free flight changes, as well as providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.