Delta Air Lines faced severe disruptions on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights as it struggled to recover from a global software outage that had an impact starting three days prior. The Atlanta-based airline reported the cancellation of 1,300 flights and delays for 1,600 flights on Sunday alone, according to FlightAware. Over the weekend, Delta and Delta Connection had canceled more than 3,500 flights between Friday and Saturday.
By approximately 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, accounting for about 20% of its scheduled operations. In contrast, American Airlines reported only 38 flight cancellations and 155 delays, representing about 5% of its planned schedule.
The root cause of Delta’s issues was linked to a failed software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which took place late Thursday night. This update malfunctioned, causing problems with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems that affected corporate users and led to critical access issues, including the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The outage had widespread repercussions across various sectors, including healthcare providers, retail, delivery services, and financial institutions, but the airline industry, particularly Delta, experienced the most significant disruptions. On Friday alone, more than 46,000 flights were delayed and over 5,171 were canceled.
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 highlighted that many of Delta’s applications rely on Microsoft Windows, which hindered their ability to adapt to the system outage. Delta has since offered a travel waiver allowing customers to change flights at no charge, along with meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg shared on social media that his department received numerous complaints regarding how Delta dealt with the disruptions and insisted that the airline must ensure refunds, free rebooking options, and prompt reimbursement for expenses related to food and lodging. He emphasized that customers should not have to endure lengthy holds or be stranded at airports overnight.