The Department of Transportation is investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure it is meeting consumer protection standards following numerous flight cancellations linked to a global technical outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized on social media that all airline passengers are entitled to fair treatment and assured he would uphold this right. He noted that the department has received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the recent disruptions caused by a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.
Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, has faced difficulties in restoring full operations after the software update, which affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems and left many corporate users struggling with access issues. The technical problems resulted in widespread delays across nearly all major industries, particularly impacting airlines and airports. Data from FlightAware revealed that on Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed and more than 5,171 were canceled, with Delta being the most affected.
The airline reported canceling approximately 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday, followed by more than 2,500 cancellations on Sunday and Monday, in addition to 3,441 delays. On Tuesday, Delta faced further disruptions with 738 flights either canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret in a statement, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to everyone affected by these events.” He highlighted that Delta’s operations heavily rely on Microsoft Windows applications, particularly a tool for crew tracking, which was unable to adapt to the system shutdown. To assist affected travelers, Delta has introduced a travel waiver allowing free flight changes and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.