The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is addressing consumer concerns following a series of flight cancellations linked to a global tech outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized on social media that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment, in response to numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the situation. The airline has faced challenges in restoring full operations since a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike on Thursday disrupted systems worldwide, particularly affecting Microsoft Windows.
The incident caused significant disruptions across various industries, with healthcare providers, delivery services, retailers, and financial institutions experiencing issues. However, airlines and airports were among the most impacted. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed, with an additional 5,171 cancellations, according to FlightAware, with Delta being the most affected.
Delta reported approximately 3,500 flight cancellations on Friday and Saturday. Over the weekend and into Monday, the airline canceled more than 2,500 additional flights and delayed 3,441 others. As of Tuesday, 738 flights had been canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the cancellations, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to everyone impacted by these events.” He acknowledged that Delta relies on numerous applications that use Microsoft Windows, including tools essential for crew tracking, which were disrupted by the system failure. To assist affected customers, Delta has introduced a travel waiver, allowing free flight changes, as well as providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.