Delta Air Lines faced significant operational challenges on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights as it continued to recover from a global software outage that caused major disruptions over the weekend.
On Sunday alone, Delta canceled 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600, as reported by FlightAware. This followed the cancellation of more than 3,500 Delta and Delta Connection flights between Friday and Saturday. By Monday morning, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, amounting to around 20% of its scheduled operations. In comparison, American Airlines reported only 38 canceled flights and 155 delays.
The problems at Delta were linked to a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike on Thursday night, which adversely affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems. This left various corporate users, including Delta, unable to access their systems, leading to significant operational issues and contributing to the infamous “Blue Screen of Death” errors.
The impact of the outage extended beyond Delta, affecting multiple industries, including healthcare, retail, and finance. On Friday, over 46,000 flights were delayed and more than 5,171 canceled across the aviation sector, with Delta being the most heavily impacted.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian issued an apology to those affected, emphasizing that canceling flights is always a last resort. He highlighted the challenges posed by the software disruption, noting that many of Delta’s applications depend on Microsoft systems.
In response to the disruptions, Delta has introduced a travel waiver allowing customers to reschedule flights without charge and offered meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg acknowledged numerous complaints regarding Delta’s response to the situation on social media, stating that Delta is required to provide refunds, free rebooking options, and prompt reimbursements for food and lodging to affected travelers. He stressed that no one should have to endure overnight airport stays or long waits for customer service.