Delta Air Lines canceled hundreds of flights on Monday as the airline attempts to recover from a global software outage that disrupted operations for three days.
The Atlanta-based airline canceled 1,300 flights on Sunday and delayed 1,600, according to FlightAware. The disruption began with Delta canceling over 3,500 flights between Friday and Saturday.
By around 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had already canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, representing about 20% of its planned operations. In contrast, American Airlines only canceled 38 flights and delayed 155, about 5% of its schedule.
The problems originated from a faulty software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike that occurred late Thursday night. This defect affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving corporate users unable to access their systems and encountering the “Blue Screen of Death” in some instances.
The incident impacted nearly every major industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines were particularly hard hit, with over 46,000 flights delayed and an additional 5,171 canceled on Friday alone, as reported by FlightAware, with Delta experiencing the most significant impact.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the situation in a statement, emphasizing that canceling flights is a last resort. Bastian apologized to those affected, noting that Delta is committed to connecting the world and recognizes the difficulties caused by travel disruptions.
He explained that Delta relies on a considerable number of applications utilizing Microsoft Windows, including a critical tool for crew tracking that failed to manage the changes from the system outage. To assist customers, Delta has provided a travel waiver allowing fee-free flight changes, along with meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
On Sunday, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg acknowledged receiving “hundreds of complaints” about Delta’s handling of the crisis. He emphasized that Delta is required to offer refunds, free rebooking options, and timely reimbursements for food and accommodation to affected travelers. Buttigieg underscored that no one should remain stranded at an airport overnight or have to wait on hold for extensive periods to contact customer service.