Delta Air Lines faced significant operational challenges on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights amid ongoing recovery efforts from a major software outage that disrupted flights globally for three consecutive days.
On Sunday alone, Delta canceled approximately 1,300 flights and delayed around 1,600, as per FlightAware’s data. The airline had already scrapped more than 3,500 flights across its main and connection services between Friday and Saturday due to the incident.
By Monday morning, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, representing nearly 20% of its scheduled operations for the day. In contrast, American Airlines reported the cancellation of only 38 flights and 155 delays, approximately 5% of its planned operations.
The turmoil at Delta was triggered by a flawed software update initiated by the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike late Thursday, which caused issues within Microsoft’s Windows operating systems. This malfunction left many corporate clients unable to access essential systems and led to the notorious “Blue Screen of Death” for some.
The impact of the software failure was felt across multiple sectors, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, but airlines and airports experienced the most significant disruptions. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed and 5,171 were canceled, with Delta experiencing the most extensive delays.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret in a statement, stating that canceling flights is a last resort. He apologized to affected travelers, emphasizing that the airline’s mission is to connect people globally and acknowledging the distress caused by the delays and cancellations.
Bastian noted that Delta relies heavily on Microsoft Windows for many critical applications, including those used for crew tracking, which struggled to cope with the system shutdown. To mitigate the inconvenience, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to alter their flight plans at no cost and has also provided meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced late Sunday that the Department of Transportation had received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s response to the disruptions. Butler urged Delta to issue refunds, facilitate free rebooking, and ensure timely reimbursements for food and hotel expenses incurred by stranded passengers. He emphasized that stranded travelers should not have to wait overnight at airports or struggle for long periods to reach customer service.