The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is adequately addressing consumer needs in the wake of numerous flight cancellations following a global technology outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated on social media that “all airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld.” He noted that his department has received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s handling of the outages.
Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, has been struggling to fully restore its operations after a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike disrupted businesses worldwide late Thursday. This update caused issues with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving users unable to access their systems and encountering significant problems.
The outage had a widespread impact, affecting various industries including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines, however, were among the hardest hit. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed, and an additional 5,171 were canceled, as reported by FlightAware. Delta Airlines faced the brunt of these disruptions.
The airline canceled approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday, with more than 2,500 additional flights canceled on Sunday and Monday, alongside 3,441 delays. By Tuesday, FlightAware reported that 738 flights were either canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the situation, stating that canceling flights is always a last resort. He acknowledged the challenges travelers face due to the disruptions and offered apologies to those affected. Bastian explained that Delta relies heavily on numerous applications that utilize Microsoft Windows, including a crew tracking tool that failed to handle the changes needed after the system crash. To assist customers, Delta has issued a travel waiver allowing free flight changes and has also provided meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.