The Department of Transportation is examining Delta Air Lines to ensure it is meeting consumer needs as the company faces ongoing flight cancellations following a global tech failure last week.
“All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld,” stated Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in a social media post on Tuesday. He noted that his department has received “hundreds of complaints” about Delta’s response to the tech issues.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has struggled to restore operations after a problematic software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike last Thursday affected businesses worldwide. A flaw in the update impacted Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users unable to access their systems, with some experiencing the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident affected nearly every major sector, including healthcare providers, delivery services, retailers, and financial institutions. Airlines and airports were particularly hard-hit: on Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed and an additional 5,171 were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta experiencing the most severe impact.
The airline canceled approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday, followed by over 2,500 cancellations on Sunday and Monday, along with 3,441 delays. As of Tuesday, 738 flights had already been canceled or delayed.
“Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement on Sunday. “I want to apologize to every one of you who have been impacted by these events. Delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how difficult it can be when your travels are disrupted.”
Bastian added that Delta relies on a “significant number of applications” utilizing Microsoft Windows, including a crew tracking tool that was unable to function due to the shutdown. Delta is offering customers a travel waiver to change their flights for free and has also provided meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.