Delta’s Flight Chaos: Software Glitch Grounds Thousands of Flights

Delta Air Lines canceled hundreds of flights on Monday as the airline continues to recover from a global software outage that grounded and delayed flights worldwide for three days.

On Sunday alone, Delta canceled 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600, according to FlightAware. The airline had already canceled over 3,500 Delta and Delta Connection flights between Friday and Saturday. By 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, totaling about 20% of its planned operations. In contrast, American Airlines canceled only 38 flights and delayed 155, approximately 5% of its operations.

The disruptions were caused by a flawed software update by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike late Thursday, which affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems. This left corporate users without access to their systems, with some experiencing the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”

The incident impacted numerous industries, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines and airports were particularly hard hit; on Friday, over 46,000 flights were delayed and 5,171 were canceled, with Delta suffering the most significant impact.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to everyone impacted by these events.” He noted that Delta relies heavily on Microsoft Windows applications, one of which is critical for crew tracking and was unable to adapt to the system failure.

Delta has implemented a travel waiver, allowing customers to change flights without a fee, in addition to providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation services.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reported receiving “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the situation and emphasized the necessity for the airline to offer refunds, complimentary rebooking, and prompt reimbursement for meals and accommodations. He stated, “No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent.”

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