The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure that it is addressing consumer rights amid ongoing flight cancellations resulting from a global tech outage last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for all airline passengers, stating on social media that his department had received numerous complaints about Delta’s response to the outages.
Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, has found it challenging to recover fully following a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which occurred late Thursday and affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems. This incident left many corporate users without access to their systems, experiencing issues such as the “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident impacted nearly all major industries, including healthcare, retail, and financial services, but airlines faced significant disruptions. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed and around 5,171 were canceled, with Delta being the most affected airline.
Delta reported canceling approximately 3,500 flights across its operations on Friday and Saturday, followed by more than 2,500 cancellations on Sunday and Monday, along with 3,441 delays. As of Tuesday, the airline had already canceled or delayed 738 flights, according to FlightAware data.
In response to the situation, Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret for the disruptions, stating that flight cancellations are always a last resort. He acknowledged the difficulties faced by travelers and highlighted Delta’s commitment to connecting the world.
Bastian noted that Delta relies on a substantial number of applications that utilize Microsoft Windows, including tools essential for crew tracking, which were unable to function due to the system issues. To assist passengers affected by the cancellations, Delta has implemented a travel waiver that allows customers to change their flights without charge, as well as offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.