Delta Air Lines faced significant disruption on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights as it struggled to recover from a global software outage that affected operations for days.
Over the weekend, Delta canceled approximately 1,300 flights on Sunday and delayed around 1,600, according to FlightAware. Earlier, the airline had canceled more than 3,500 flights from Friday to Saturday. As of 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, amounting to about 20% of its planned operations. In contrast, American Airlines reported only 38 canceled flights and 155 delays, roughly 5% of its schedule.
The disruption was caused by a problematic software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems. This incident left corporate users, including Delta, unable to access their systems and led to a significant number of delays across various sectors, with airlines and airports being particularly hard-hit. On Friday alone, about 46,000 flights were delayed and over 5,171 were canceled, with Delta experiencing the most impact.
Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, expressed regret in a statement, emphasizing that canceling flights is a last resort. He acknowledged the challenges faced by travelers due to the disruptions and indicated that Delta has implemented measures to assist affected customers, including travel waivers that allow for free flight changes, meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg shared on social media that his department received numerous complaints about Delta’s response to the situation. He urged the airline to offer refunds, free rebooking, and quick reimbursements for expenses like food and hotel stays for those impacted. Buttigieg stressed that no one should be left stranded overnight at an airport or forced to wait hours on hold for customer service help.