Delta Air Lines faced significant disruptions on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights as the airline continued to deal with the fallout from a global software outage that occurred three days earlier.
The Atlanta-based airline had already canceled 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600 on Sunday, according to FlightAware data. The total number of canceled Delta and Delta Connection flights over the weekend reached more than 3,500.
By 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta reported 626 cancellations and 144 delays, representing about 20% of its scheduled operations. In contrast, American Airlines recorded only 38 cancellations and 155 delays, equating to about 5% of its operations.
The disruptions originate from a mishandled software update by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, which was executed late Thursday night. A defect during this update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, resulting in corporate users losing access to their systems and experiencing issues like the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
This incident impacted nearly every major industry, including healthcare, delivery, retail, and finance, but airlines and airports were particularly hard hit. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed, while 5,171 were canceled, with Delta experiencing the worst of it.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian acknowledged the situation, saying, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to everyone who has been affected by these events.” He emphasized Delta’s commitment to connecting the world and the difficulties faced by travelers due to the disruptions.
Bastian mentioned that Delta relies on a number of applications using Microsoft Windows, including essential tools for crew tracking that could not adapt to the system downtime. As a response, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no charge, as well as providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.
On Sunday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg commented that his department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s management of the disruptions. He insisted that the airline must ensure refunds, free rebooking, and prompt reimbursement for food and lodging for affected passengers. “No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent,” Buttigieg added.