Delta Air Lines faced significant challenges on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights as it continued to recover from a global software outage that began three days earlier, causing widespread disruptions to air travel.
On Sunday alone, Delta canceled 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600, as noted by FlightAware. Prior to that, the airline had already canceled over 3,500 Delta and Delta Connection flights between Friday and Saturday.
By Monday morning, approximately 626 flights were canceled, and 144 were delayed, representing around 20% of Delta’s scheduled operations for the day. In contrast, American Airlines reported only 38 flight cancellations and 155 delays, which amounted to about 5% of its operations.
The problems Delta faced originated from a flawed software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, implemented late Thursday night. This malfunction affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, disrupting access for corporate users and triggering the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The impact of this incident rippled across multiple industries, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, with airlines and airports experiencing some of the most severe disruptions. Over 46,000 flights were delayed on Friday alone, with an additional 5,171 cancellations, as per FlightAware, making Delta one of the hardest-hit airlines.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the flight cancellations in a statement, emphasizing that such actions are always a last resort. He acknowledged the difficulty travelers face when their plans are disrupted and apologized to those affected.
Bastian mentioned that many of Delta’s applications rely on Microsoft Windows, including a tool essential for crew tracking that was unable to function due to the software failure. To assist passengers, Delta introduced a travel waiver allowing customers to change flights at no cost, along with offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg shared on social media late Sunday that his department received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s management of the situation. He underscored the necessity for Delta to offer refunds, free rebooking options, and timely reimbursements for meals and lodging to the impacted customers, stressing that no traveler should be left stranded at an airport overnight or face lengthy wait times for customer service assistance.