Delta Air Lines faced significant disruptions on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights as the airline continued to recover from a massive global software outage that caused widespread delays and cancellations over the weekend.
On Sunday alone, Delta canceled approximately 1,300 flights and delayed another 1,600, as reported by FlightAware. The situation escalated earlier in the weekend when Delta had already scrapped more than 3,500 flights between Friday and Saturday.
By Monday morning, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, accounting for about 20% of its scheduled operations for the day. In contrast, American Airlines reported only 38 cancellations and 155 delays, roughly 5% of its planned flights.
The root of Delta’s turmoil can be traced back to a flawed software update implemented by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike late Thursday. The update malfunctioned and adversely affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users without access and facing critical system errors.
The impact of this incident rippled through several sectors, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, but the airline industry was particularly hard hit. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights experienced delays, while more than 5,100 were canceled, with Delta suffering the most.
Delta’s CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the mass cancellations on Sunday, emphasizing that such decisions are a last resort. “I want to apologize to every one of you who have been impacted by these events,” he stated. He acknowledged the importance of travel connectivity for customers and the difficulties caused by the disruptions.
Bastian noted that Delta relies heavily on Microsoft Windows for many of its applications, including a crucial tool for tracking crew schedules that was rendered ineffective due to the outage. The airline has since implemented a travel waiver, allowing customers to reschedule their flights at no cost, alongside offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg commented on Sunday via social media that his department had received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s management of the situation. He asserted that Delta must ensure refunds, assist with rebooking, and provide timely reimbursements for travel-related expenses.
“No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent,” Buttigieg remarked.