Delta Air Lines faced significant disruptions on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights as it continues to recover from a major global software outage that occurred three days earlier. On Sunday alone, Delta canceled 1,300 flights and delayed an additional 1,600, as reported by FlightAware. The airline had previously experienced over 3,500 cancellations across Delta and Delta Connection flights between Friday and Saturday.
By 8 a.m. ET on Monday, the airline had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, which accounts for roughly 20% of its scheduled operations. In contrast, American Airlines managed to cancel only 38 flights and delay 155, representing about 5% of its planned operations.
The trouble began following a flawed software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike late Thursday, which inadvertently affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems. This malfunction left corporate users unable to access their systems, with some encountering the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident had far-reaching consequences, impacting a wide range of sectors such as healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, although airlines and airports experienced the most severe effects. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed, and 5,171 were canceled, with Delta being the most significantly impacted carrier.
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 affected by these events.” He noted that Delta relies on numerous Microsoft Windows applications, including those for crew tracking, which struggled to adapt to the shutdown.
In the wake of the disruptions, Delta has introduced a travel waiver, allowing customers to change their flights free of charge, along with providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced via social media that his department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s management of the situation. He emphasized that the airline must ensure timely refunds, free rebooking options, and reimbursements for food and lodging to those impacted. He stated that no one should be left stranded at an airport overnight or forced to wait hours on hold for customer service assistance.