Delta Air Lines faced significant disruption on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights as the airline continued to recover from a global software outage that led to widespread delays over the weekend.
On Sunday alone, Delta canceled 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600, according to FlightAware. Between Friday and Saturday, the airline had canceled over 3,500 Delta and Delta Connection flights. By Monday morning, about 8 a.m. ET, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, representing roughly 20% of its planned operations. In contrast, American Airlines only reported 38 cancellations and 155 delays, about 5% of its operations.
The problems originated from a flawed software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which occurred late Thursday night. This defect impacted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, which left many corporate users unable to access their systems and experiencing instances of the “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident affected almost every major industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, but airlines and airports were particularly hard hit. On Friday, more than 46,000 flights were delayed while 5,171 were canceled, with Delta experiencing the most significant impact.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret for the inconvenience, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to every one of you who have been impacted by these events.” He explained that the airline relies on many applications using Microsoft Windows, including a crew tracking tool that could not manage the changes caused by the software shutdown. To assist distressed travelers, Delta has issued a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights for free and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg took to social media to address the situation, mentioning that his department received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s handling of the disruptions. He emphasized that Delta must refund, rebook for free, and provide timely reimbursement for food and lodging to affected customers, stating, “No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent.”