The Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is properly addressing customer concerns amid an ongoing wave of flight cancellations following a global technology breakdown last week.
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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated on social media that “all airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly,” emphasizing his commitment to uphold this right. He noted that the department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s handling of the recent technology outages.
Delta Air Lines, based in Atlanta, has faced challenges in fully resuming services after a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike impacted various industries globally. This flawed update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users dealing with significant access issues.
The incident affected a broad range of sectors, including healthcare, logistics, retail, and finance, with airlines and airports suffering the most. On one day alone, more than 46,000 flights were delayed, and over 5,171 were canceled, with Delta experiencing the most significant impact.
On Friday and Saturday, Delta canceled approximately 3,500 flights. The situation worsened over the weekend, leading to over 2,500 cancellations and more than 3,441 delays on Sunday and Monday, with additional cancellations and delays reported on Tuesday.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed remorse 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 acknowledged that Delta relies heavily on a number of applications that use Microsoft Windows, including tools essential for crew tracking, which were unable to adjust to the shutdown.
To assist affected customers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing for free flight changes, as well as providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation services.