Delta Air Lines faced significant disruptions on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights as the airline continued to recover from a global software outage that affected operations for three consecutive days.
On Sunday alone, Delta canceled 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600, according to data from FlightAware. The airline’s troubles began after over 3,500 Delta and Delta Connection flights were canceled between Friday and Saturday due to issues linked to a faulty software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. This update created problems with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users to deal with system inaccessibility, and some encountered the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
By 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had already canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, impacting about 20% of its scheduled operations. In comparison, American Airlines reported only 38 cancellations and 155 delays, which accounted for about 5% of its planned flights.
The outage affected nearly every major industry, with airlines and airports suffering significant impacts. On Friday, more than 46,000 flights were delayed and an additional 5,171 were canceled across various airlines, with Delta experiencing the most extensive effects.
Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, expressed regret over the flight cancellations, emphasizing the airline’s commitment to customer connections. He apologized to affected travelers and noted that the company understands the challenges posed by travel disruptions. Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change flights for free and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation support.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated on social media that his department had received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the crisis. He highlighted the necessity for the airline to offer refunds, free rebooking options, and prompt reimbursements for customers’ food and hotel expenses affected by the disruptions. Buttigieg also emphasized that travelers should not have to face overnight delays at airports or endure long waits for customer service assistance.