The Department of Transportation is conducting an investigation into Delta Air Lines to ensure that the airline is adequately addressing consumer rights amid ongoing flight cancellations following a global tech outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for airline passengers, stating his commitment to uphold these rights in a social media post. He noted that his department has received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s response to the recent technology failures.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has struggled to return to normal operations after a problematic software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which disrupted businesses worldwide. This update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, causing significant operational issues, including instances of the “Blue Screen of Death.”
The repercussions were felt across various sectors, notably in healthcare, retail, and finance, but airlines and airports experienced severe impacts. On one day alone, more than 46,000 flights were delayed, and 5,171 were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta being one of the hardest hit.
The airline canceled approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday. FlightAware reported that Delta also canceled over 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday and delayed an additional 3,441 flights. By Tuesday, the situation persisted, with 738 flights either canceled or delayed.
Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, acknowledged the inconvenience these disruptions caused and expressed his apologies to affected travelers. He explained that canceling flights is a last resort for the airline and highlighted the critical role of various applications reliant on Microsoft Windows, which were impacted by the system failure. To mitigate the situation, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights without charge and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transport options.