Delta Air Lines has canceled hundreds of flights on Monday as it continues to recover from a global software outage that disrupted travel for three days. The Atlanta-based airline canceled 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600 on Sunday alone, and had previously canceled over 3,500 Delta and Delta Connection flights from Friday to Saturday, according to FlightAware.
By 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, amounting to approximately 20% of its scheduled operations. In contrast, American Airlines reported only 38 canceled flights and 155 delays, which is about 5% of its planned operations.
The disruption originated from a flawed software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike that took place late Thursday night. This defect affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, preventing corporate users from accessing their systems and causing some to encounter the dreaded “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident had a widespread impact across various industries, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, with airlines and airports experiencing significant challenges. On Friday, over 46,000 flights were delayed and an additional 5,171 were canceled, with Delta being the most affected.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the situation, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to every one of you who have been impacted by these events.” He noted that Delta relies on numerous applications using Microsoft Windows, including a crucial crew tracking tool that was unable to function due to the system failure. To assist affected customers, Delta has introduced a travel waiver allowing free flight changes and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced on social media that his department received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s management of the disruptions. He emphasized that Delta is obligated to offer refunds, free rebooking, and timely reimbursements for food and hotel expenses to affected travelers. “No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent,” Buttigieg warned.