The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines’ handling of flight cancellations following a global tech failure from last week. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg stated on social media that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment, emphasizing his commitment to uphold these rights. He noted that his agency had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the recent outages.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has experienced significant operational disruptions after a problematic software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which took place late Thursday. This update adversely impacted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leading many corporate users to encounter issues, including the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident had widespread repercussions, affecting almost every major sector, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, with airlines and airports enduring the most severe impacts. On Friday alone, more than 46,000 flights were delayed and over 5,171 flights were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta facing the brunt of the crisis.
Delta reported canceling approximately 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday, with an additional 2,500 cancellations on Sunday and Monday, alongside 3,441 delays. As of Tuesday, FlightAware indicated that 738 flights had been canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret in a statement, emphasizing that canceling flights is a last resort and apologizing to affected customers. He acknowledged the company’s reliance on Microsoft Windows for numerous applications, including tools vital for crew tracking, which were hindered by the system outage. Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to modify their flight plans without incurring fees and is offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.