Delta Air Lines faced significant disruption on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights as it continued to recover from a global software outage that affected operations over the weekend.
On Sunday alone, Delta canceled 1,300 flights and delayed another 1,600, according to FlightAware. Earlier, over the course of Friday and Saturday, the airline had canceled more than 3,500 flights combined for both Delta and Delta Connection.
By 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta reported 626 flight cancellations and 144 delays, accounting for approximately 20% of its scheduled operations. In contrast, American Airlines reported only 38 canceled flights and 155 delays, which amounted to about 5% of its planned flights for the day.
The issues at Delta originated from a malfunctioning software update implemented by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike late Thursday, which inadvertently affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems. This left corporate users with limited access to their systems and led to the infamous “Blue Screen of Death” for some.
The incident impacted nearly every major industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, but airlines and airports experienced the most severe effects. On Friday, over 46,000 flights were delayed, and another 5,171 were canceled, with Delta being particularly hard-hit.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret in a statement, emphasizing that flight cancellations are a last resort and apologizing to those impacted by the disruptions. He acknowledged the airline’s reliance on Microsoft Windows applications, including essential crew tracking tools which were disrupted due to the system failure. Delta announced a travel waiver allowing affected customers to change flights without a fee, in addition to offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reported receiving numerous complaints about Delta’s response to the situation. He emphasized that Delta needs to ensure refunds, facilitate free rebooking, and provide timely reimbursements for expenses such as meals and hotel stays for customers affected by the delays and cancellations.
“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.