The U.S. Department of Transportation is probing Delta Air Lines to ensure consumer rights are being upheld as the airline continues to face numerous flight cancellations following a global technology hiccup last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg expressed on social media that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment and highlighted that his department has received hundreds of complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the tech outages.
Delta, based in Atlanta, is still struggling to restore normal operations after a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike impacted various global businesses. This update led to issues with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, causing many corporate users to encounter significant access problems, including the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident had widespread repercussions across many sectors, notably healthcare, delivery, retail, and finance, but airlines and airports experienced some of the most severe disruptions. On just one Friday, more than 46,000 flights were delayed, and approximately 5,171 flights were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta being particularly affected.
Delta reported that it canceled around 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday, with over 2,500 more cancellations occurring on Sunday and Monday, along with around 3,441 flight delays. As of Tuesday, another 738 flights had been either canceled or delayed.
Delta’s CEO Ed Bastian commented on the situation, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly.” He apologized to passengers impacted by these disruptions and emphasized Delta’s commitment to connecting people globally.
Bastian noted that Delta relies on numerous applications that operate on Microsoft Windows, including essential tools for tracking crew availability, which were unable to adapt due to the system failures. To alleviate the situation for affected customers, Delta has introduced a travel waiver allowing free flight changes, alongside meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.