Delta Air Lines has canceled hundreds of flights as it continues to deal with the fallout from a global software outage that caused significant disruptions over the weekend.
On Sunday, the Atlanta-based airline canceled approximately 1,300 flights and delayed about 1,600, as reported by FlightAware. This followed a more extensive disruption on Friday and Saturday when over 3,500 Delta and Delta Connection flights were also canceled.
By Monday morning, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, amounting to about 20% of its scheduled operations. In contrast, American Airlines reported only 38 cancellations and 155 delays, representing around 5% of its planned flights.
The source of Delta’s troubles was traced back to a problematic software update executed by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike late Thursday. This update caused issues with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, affecting users’ access and leading to instances of the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The impact of this outage reverberated through various sectors, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines, particularly Delta, experienced the brunt of the fallout, with over 46,000 flight delays and more than 5,100 cancellations occurring on Friday alone, according to FlightAware.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret in a statement, emphasizing that flight cancellations are a last resort. He acknowledged the challenges faced by travelers due to these disruptions and announced that Delta would implement a travel waiver allowing affected customers to change their flights for free, along with providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Additionally, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated on social media that his department received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s response to the situation. He underscored the requirement for Delta to offer refunds, enable free rebooking, and ensure prompt reimbursement for food and lodging expenses for those impacted.
Buttigieg stressed that no individual should be left stranded in airports overnight or have to endure long wait times for customer service assistance.