The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure that it is properly addressing consumer concerns, as the airline continues to cancel flights following a global technology outage last week.
In a separate issue, McDonald’s is now facing its first lawsuit linked to an E. coli outbreak associated with its Quarter Pounder.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg commented on the situation via social media on Tuesday, emphasizing that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment. He noted that his department has received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s response to the recent tech failures.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has experienced significant challenges in returning to normal operations after a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike disrupted businesses worldwide last Thursday. The defect in the update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, causing corporate users to lose access to their systems and, in some cases, encounter the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
This incident had widespread repercussions across nearly every major industry, impacting healthcare providers, delivery services, retailers, and financial institutions. However, airlines and airports faced the brunt of the disruption: on a single day, over 46,000 flights were delayed and more than 5,171 flights were canceled, as reported by FlightAware, with Delta being the most affected airline.
Delta reported the cancellation of approximately 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday, and additional cancelations and delays followed, with more than 2,500 flights canceled on Sunday and Monday, alongside 3,441 delays. As of Tuesday, the airline had already seen 738 flights canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed his regret regarding the situation in a statement on Sunday, saying, “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. Delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how difficult it can be when your travels are disrupted.”
Bastian explained that Delta relies on numerous applications that operate on Microsoft Windows, including a crew tracking tool that could not adapt to the changes caused by the system failure. In response to the disruptions, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights without additional fees, and has also provided meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.