The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure it is meeting consumer care standards following continued flight cancellations linked to a recent global technology failure.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized on social media that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment and vowed to uphold this right. He noted that his department has received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the situation stemming from the tech outages.
Atlanta-based Delta has faced challenges in fully resuming its operations after a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike last Thursday, which had widespread repercussions. A flaw in this update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many users unable to access their systems and dealing with errors, including the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident disrupted almost every major industry, from healthcare to retail and finance, but the airline sector, especially, suffered significant setbacks. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights experienced delays, and approximately 5,171 were canceled, as reported by FlightAware, with Delta being the most severely affected.
Delta disclosed that it canceled around 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday. The airline continued to face challenges, with over 2,500 additional cancellations on Sunday and Monday, alongside 3,441 delays. On Tuesday, Delta reported 738 flights had been canceled or delayed.
In a statement issued Sunday, Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret to affected travelers, highlighting that canceling a flight is a last resort. He reassured customers that Delta’s mission is to facilitate global connectivity, understanding the inconvenience caused by travel disruptions.
Bastian also shared that many of Delta’s applications rely on Microsoft Windows, including a tool necessary for crew scheduling that could not process changes due to the system failure. To assist affected travelers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no extra charge, in addition to offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.