The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is properly addressing consumer issues following the company’s ongoing flight cancellations after a global technology failure last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized on social media that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment and pledged to uphold that right. He mentioned that the department has received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s handling of the tech outage.
Based in Atlanta, Delta has faced challenges in resuming full operations following a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike that affected businesses worldwide. The flawed update impacted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, rendering corporate users unable to access their systems and in some cases leading to the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident disrupted nearly every major industry, notably affecting healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines were particularly hit hard; on Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed and 5,171 were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta bearing the brunt of the impact.
Delta reported canceling about 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday. The airline’s cancellations continued with more than 2,500 flights canceled on Sunday and Monday, along with 3,441 delays. On Tuesday alone, 738 flights were either canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian stated, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly.” He offered apologies to those affected by the disruptions, affirming Delta’s commitment to connecting the world. He elaborated that many of Delta’s operations rely on Microsoft Windows, including a tool for crew tracking that was unable to adapt to the sudden system failures. To mitigate the inconveniences, Delta has initiated a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no charge, along with providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.