The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure it is adequately addressing consumer concerns following a series of flight cancellations triggered by a global tech outage last week.
In a social media statement on Tuesday, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg emphasized the rights of airline passengers, stating, “All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld.” He noted that his department had received “hundreds of complaints” concerning Delta’s handling of the situation.
Based in Atlanta, Delta has faced challenges in fully restoring operations after a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike last Thursday affected businesses worldwide. The update contained a flaw that impacted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users, including some in the airline industry, unable to access their systems.
The incident had widespread repercussions across numerous sectors, notably healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines, particularly, suffered extensive disruptions, with over 46,000 flight delays and 5,171 cancellations reported on Friday alone, according to FlightAware, with Delta being the most affected.
Delta canceled approximately 3,500 flights during Friday and Saturday. Over the next two days, it reported more than 2,500 cancellations and an additional 3,441 delays. On Tuesday, the airline had already canceled or delayed 738 flights.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret for the disruptions, 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 explained that a significant number of Delta’s applications rely on Microsoft Windows, including tools essential for crew tracking that were unable to function due to the system failure. In response, Delta has introduced a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights for free, along with providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.