Delta Air Lines canceled hundreds of flights on Monday as it continues to face challenges in recovering from a global software outage that occurred three days prior, leading to widespread flight delays and cancellations worldwide.
On Sunday, Delta canceled around 1,300 flights and faced 1,600 delays, as reported by FlightAware. The disruptions began with over 3,500 canceled Delta and Delta Connection flights from Friday to Saturday.
By 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, representing about 20% of its scheduled operations. In contrast, American Airlines reported only 38 canceled flights and 155 delays—approximately 5% of its planned flights.
The problems originated from a flawed software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which was implemented late Thursday night. This defect affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, causing significant disruptions for corporate users, including occurrences of the “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident had repercussions across various sectors, including healthcare services, delivery systems, retail, and finance, but the airline industry was particularly hard-hit. On Friday alone, the data showed more than 46,000 flight delays and over 5,171 cancellations, with Delta experiencing the most severe impact.
Delta’s CEO Ed Bastian acknowledged the difficulties caused by the cancellations in a statement on Sunday, emphasizing that canceling flights is a last resort and offering apologies to passengers affected by the situation. He noted that many of Delta’s systems rely on Microsoft Windows, with some crucial tools, such as crew tracking applications, unable to function amid the outage.
In response to the crisis, Delta is providing a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights without charge, alongside meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg expressed on social media that his department received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s response to the disruptions, urging the airline to offer refunds, free rebooking, and prompt reimbursements for affected travelers’ expenses on food and lodging.
Buttigieg stressed that no one should be left stranded in airports overnight or have to wait for extended periods to reach customer service.