Delta Air Lines faced significant disruptions on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights as it worked to recover from a global software outage that impacted travel for three days. The airline, based in Atlanta, reported the cancellation of 1,300 flights on Sunday and 1,600 delays, according to FlightAware data. The situation worsened over the prior weekend, with more than 3,500 Delta and Delta Connection flights canceled between Friday and Saturday.
By approximately 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had already canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, accounting for about 20% of its planned schedule. In contrast, American Airlines managed to cancel only 38 flights and delayed 155, which is roughly 5% of its operations.
The problems at Delta originated from a flawed software update executed by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike on Thursday night. This update caused complications with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users unable to access their systems and encountering significant errors.
The outage affected multiple sectors, but airlines and airports experienced the most severe repercussions. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed, and an additional 5,171 were canceled, with Delta experiencing the highest level of disruptions.
Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, expressed regret for the inconveniences caused, emphasizing that canceling flights is a last resort. He acknowledged the complications many travelers faced and assured customers that Delta is committed to connecting people worldwide. The airline has implemented a travel waiver to allow customers to change flights at no extra cost and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.
In response to the chaos, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg indicated on social media that his department received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s disruption management. He stated that Delta is responsible for offering refunds, free rebooking, and prompt reimbursements for food and lodging costs to affected customers, emphasizing that no traveler should be stranded overnight at an airport or endure long waits for customer service assistance.