The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is properly managing customer needs amid ongoing flight cancellations following a recent global tech failure.
Delta is now facing scrutiny and has received hundreds of complaints regarding its operations after a problematic software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike last Thursday impacted various businesses globally. The update caused issues within Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leading corporate users to experience system access problems, including the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
Nearly every major sector, from healthcare to retail, was affected by this incident. Airlines, in particular, faced significant disruptions, with over 46,000 flight delays and 5,171 cancellations reported on that Friday alone, according to FlightAware. Delta was one of the hardest hit airlines.
Delta canceled around 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday, with additional cancellations exceeding 2,500 on Sunday and Monday, along with over 3,400 flight delays. As of Tuesday, there were already 738 cancellations or delays recorded.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret for the disruptions, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to every one of you who have been impacted by these events.” He acknowledged the airline’s reliance on Microsoft Windows for several critical applications, including a crew tracking tool that struggled to adapt to the system failures. To assist affected customers, Delta announced a travel waiver allowing free flight changes, as well as provisions for meal vouchers, hotel rooms, and transportation.