The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is treating consumers fairly amidst ongoing flight cancellations linked to a global tech outage. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg stated on social media that all airline passengers have the right to fair treatment and emphasized his commitment to uphold that right, after his department received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s handling of the situation.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has faced challenges in resuming normal operations following a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. The update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, disrupting businesses worldwide and leaving many users with access issues, including encountering the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
Virtually every major industry was impacted by this incident, including healthcare providers, delivery services, retailers, and financial entities. Airlines experienced particularly severe disruptions; on Friday, over 46,000 flights were delayed, and another 5,171 were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta being hit the hardest.
The airline reported canceling around 3,500 flights over the weekend, with an additional 2,500 cancellations on Sunday and Monday, alongside over 3,400 delays. As of Tuesday, 738 flights have been canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the situation, stating that canceling flights is a last resort and not taken lightly. He apologized to all impacted travelers, highlighting the difficulty of disrupted travel. Bastian noted that several of Delta’s applications rely on Microsoft Windows, including a crucial crew tracking tool that struggled to adapt to the system failures. To assist customers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver permitting free flight changes, as well as providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.