Delta Air Lines faced significant operational challenges on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights as it continued to deal with the fallout from a global software outage that had already disrupted travel for three days.
The airline, based in Atlanta, canceled approximately 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600 on Sunday alone, according to data from FlightAware. Between Friday and Saturday, Delta and its regional affiliate Delta Connection had previously canceled over 3,500 flights.
By 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta reported the cancellation of 626 flights and 144 delays, amounting to about 20% of its scheduled operations for the day. In contrast, American Airlines only canceled 38 flights and delayed 155, which is about 5% of its itinerary.
The disruptions at Delta were attributed to a flawed software update conducted by CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm. This update caused issues with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users facing access problems and some experiencing the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident impacted a wide range of sectors, including healthcare, retail, and finance, but airlines were particularly hard hit. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed and more than 5,100 were canceled, with Delta suffering the most extensive disruptions.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian addressed the situation, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to everyone impacted by these events.” He highlighted that Delta understands the challenges of travel disruption and has implemented a travel waiver allowing affected customers to change flights without fees, alongside providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg remarked on social media that his department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s management of the situation. He emphasized that Delta must offer refunds, free rebooking, and prompt reimbursements for expenses incurred due to the delays, insisting that no traveler should have to spend a night at the airport or endure extended waits for customer service assistance.