The Department of Transportation is currently looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is adequately supporting consumers amid ongoing flight cancellations following a significant global tech outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stressed the importance of fair treatment for airline passengers and committed to upholding this right on social media. He noted that his department has received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s handling of the situation.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has faced challenges in fully resuming operations after a flawed software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike affected numerous businesses worldwide. This update caused issues with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users unable to access their systems, with some even encountering the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident had widespread repercussions, impacting nearly every major industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. The airline sector was particularly hard hit, with over 46,000 flight delays and 5,171 cancellations occurring just on Friday, according to FlightAware, with Delta suffering the most severe consequences.
The airline canceled approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday alone. Following this, FlightAware reported that Delta canceled more than 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday while also experiencing 3,441 delays. On Tuesday, another 738 flights were either canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the disruptions, 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 the airline’s role in connecting travelers and recognized the difficulties posed by travel disruptions.
Bastian explained that Delta relies on a variety of Microsoft Windows applications, including a crew tracking system that was unable to adapt to the changes caused by the system shutdown. In response to the ongoing situation, Delta has issued a travel waiver allowing customers to modify their flights without charge, and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.