The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is treating consumers fairly as it faces ongoing flight cancellations following a global tech outage last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg stated in a social media announcement that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment, and he intends to uphold that right. His department has received numerous complaints regarding how Delta has handled the situation caused by the tech failure.
Delta Air Lines, based in Atlanta, has been struggling to return to normal operations after a flawed software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike disrupted businesses worldwide. This defect affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users unable to access their systems and occasionally dealing with significant errors.
The incident had a widespread impact, affecting various industries, including healthcare, retail, delivery services, and finance, but airlines and airports experienced the worst of it. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed, with an additional 5,171 cancellations reported, according to FlightAware, with Delta being the most affected.
Delta canceled approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday, with more than 2,500 cancellations on Sunday and Monday, alongside 3,441 delays. As of Tuesday, there have already been 738 more cancellations or delays.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret for the disruptions, emphasizing that canceling flights is a last resort. He acknowledged the challenges faced by customers during this period. Bastian mentioned that a considerable number of Delta’s applications rely on Microsoft Windows, including a crucial crew tracking tool that struggled due to the system failure. In response, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no cost, alongside offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.