Delta Air Lines canceled a significant number of flights on Monday as it continues to recover from a global software failure that disrupted travel for three days. The airline, based in Atlanta, canceled 1,300 flights and delayed another 1,600 on Sunday, with previous cancellations exceeding 3,500 Delta and Delta Connection flights over Friday and Saturday, according to data from FlightAware.
By 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, amounting to around 20% of its scheduled operations for the day. In contrast, American Airlines only canceled 38 flights and delayed 155, which is about 5% of its planned flights.
The troubles for Delta began with a faulty software update implemented by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike late Thursday, which affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems. This issue left corporate users without access to their systems and caused various disruptions, including the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident had a widespread impact across various sectors, notably affecting healthcare providers, delivery services, retailers, and financial institutions, with airlines experiencing particularly severe repercussions. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed and approximately 5,171 were canceled, with Delta suffering the brunt of the impact.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed remorse for the disruptions, emphasizing that canceling flights is always a last resort. He stated, “I want to apologize to every one of you who have been impacted by these events. Delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how difficult it can be when your travels are disrupted.”
Bastian noted that many of Delta’s applications rely on Microsoft Windows, including vital tools for crew tracking, which could not adapt to the shutdowns. The airline has offered a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no cost, as well as providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg shared on social media that his department received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s management of the situation. He insisted that Delta must ensure refunds, enable free rebooking, and provide timely reimbursements for affected customers’ food and hotel expenses.
“No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent,” Buttigieg stated.