Delta Air Lines has canceled hundreds of flights on Monday as the airline continues to recover from a global software outage that grounded and delayed flights worldwide three days earlier.
On Sunday, Delta canceled 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600 more, according to FlightAware data. During the period from Friday to Saturday, the airline had already canceled over 3,500 Delta and Delta Connection flights.
By 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, which constituted about 20% of its scheduled operations. In comparison, American Airlines reported only 38 cancellations and 155 delays, accounting for about 5% of its planned flights.
The airline’s challenges are linked to a failed software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike late on Thursday. A defect in this update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving users without access to their systems and confronting issues such as the “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident caused disruptions across numerous industries, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines and airports experienced substantial delays, with over 46,000 flights delayed and more than 5,100 canceled on Friday alone. Delta was particularly hard hit.
In a statement on Sunday, Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the cancellations, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to everyone who has been impacted by these events. Delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how difficult it can be when your travels are disrupted.”
Bastian noted that Delta operates a wide range of applications that rely on Microsoft Windows, including a tool for crew tracking that was unable to manage the necessary adjustments due to the system failure. In response to the disruptions, Delta is offering a travel waiver that allows customers to change their flights without penalties, in addition to providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.
On social media, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg commented that his department received “hundreds of complaints” about how Delta handled the situation. He emphasized that Delta must ensure refunds, free rebooking, and prompt reimbursements for affected customers’ food and lodging expenses.
Buttigieg further stated, “No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent.”