Delta Air Lines faced significant disruptions on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights as the airline struggled to recover from a global software outage that affected operations for three days.
On Sunday, Delta canceled 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600, as reported by FlightAware. This followed the cancelation of over 3,500 flights from Friday to Saturday. By 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, amounting to about 20% of its scheduled operations. In contrast, American Airlines reported only 38 canceled flights and 155 delays, representing roughly 5% of its planned flights.
The chaos originated from a faulty software update by the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, initiated late Thursday night. This update created issues with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving users without access to essential systems and resulting in numerous “Blue Screen of Death” incidents.
The impact was widespread, affecting numerous industries including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines and airports were particularly hard hit, with over 46,000 flights delayed and more than 5,171 canceled on Friday alone, according to FlightAware, with Delta experiencing the most significant disruptions.
Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, expressed regret in a statement, 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 Microsoft Windows for various applications, including a critical crew tracking tool that was unable to function correctly during the outage. In response, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights without fees, as well as providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced on social media that his department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s management of the disruptions. He added that Delta must ensure refunds, free rebooking, and prompt reimbursements for affected customers seeking compensation for food and hotel expenses. Buttigieg emphasized, “No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent.”