Delta Air Lines canceled numerous flights on Monday as the airline continued to grapple with the aftermath of a global software outage that had grounded and delayed flights worldwide for three days.
The Atlanta-based airline canceled approximately 1,300 flights on Sunday and postponed another 1,600, according to FlightAware data. The cancellations added to the over 3,500 Delta and Delta Connection flights canceled from Friday to Saturday.
As of around 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta reported 626 canceled flights and 144 delays for the day, accounting for about 20% of its scheduled operations. In contrast, American Airlines canceled only 38 flights and delayed 155, which is about 5% of its planned operations.
The troubles for Delta originated from a problematic software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike late Thursday, which affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems and left corporate users unable to access their systems, with many experiencing the “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident impacted nearly every major industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, but airlines and airports experienced substantial disruptions. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed and another 5,171 were canceled, with Delta being the most severely affected.
“Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian in a statement on Sunday. “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” using Microsoft Windows, including a crew tracking tool that failed to manage operational changes after the system outage. To assist affected customers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing free flight changes, along with meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg commented on social media late Sunday that his department received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s management of the disruptions. He emphasized that Delta needs to issue refunds, allow free rebooking, and provide timely reimbursements for food and hotel expenses to impacted travelers.
“No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent,” Buttigieg stated.