The U.S. Department of Transportation is examining Delta Air Lines to ensure consumer rights are being upheld as the airline deals with the fallout from numerous flight cancellations following a recent global tech outage.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg expressed his commitment to ensuring fair treatment for all airline passengers. He noted on social media that the department has received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s handling of the situation.
Delta, based in Atlanta, is still working to stabilize its operations after a problematic software update conducted by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike last Thursday. This update disrupted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users unable to access their systems and experiencing significant issues.
The impact was widespread, affecting various sectors, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines experienced significant disruptions, particularly Delta, which reported that over 46,000 flights were delayed and more than 5,171 were canceled on Friday alone, according to FlightAware.
Delta canceled approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday, followed by more than 2,500 cancellations and 3,441 delays on Sunday and Monday. The disruptions continued into Tuesday, with another 738 flights either canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian acknowledged the challenges faced by travelers and apologized to those affected. He emphasized that cancellations are a last resort for the airline. Bastian explained that Delta relies heavily on numerous applications that utilize Microsoft Windows, including tools necessary for crew tracking, which were impacted by the system failure. To assist customers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing free flight changes and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transport options.