Delta Air Lines canceled hundreds of flights on Monday as the airline faced challenges recovering from a global software outage that disrupted flights worldwide for three days.
The Atlanta-based carrier canceled 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600 on Sunday, according to FlightAware. Between Friday and Saturday, Delta had already canceled over 3,500 flights involving both Delta and Delta Connection.
By around 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, which constituted approximately 20% of its planned schedule. In contrast, American Airlines had only canceled 38 flights and delayed 155, about 5% of its operations.
The airline’s troubles originated from a flawed software update conducted by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike late Thursday. This defect affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving corporate users unable to access their systems, with some experiencing the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident had a widespread impact across various sectors, including healthcare, delivery, retail, and finance, with airlines and airports being particularly hard-hit. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed, and more than 5,171 were canceled, as reported by FlightAware, with Delta experiencing the greatest impact.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret in a statement, saying, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to everyone affected by these events.” Bastian noted that Delta relies heavily on Microsoft Windows applications, including a tool for tracking crew availability, which was disrupted during the system failure. The airline has accordingly issued travel waivers, allowing customers to change flights for free and providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transport options.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg indicated on social media that his department received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s response to the situation. He emphasized that Delta is responsible for providing refunds, free rebooking, and timely reimbursements for expenses related to food and lodging for affected customers. “No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent,” Buttigieg stated.