Delta Air Lines faced significant disruptions on Monday, cancelling hundreds of flights as the airline continued to struggle following a global software outage that occurred three days prior, affecting operations worldwide.
On Sunday alone, Delta cancelled approximately 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600, as reported by FlightAware. The weekend disruptions followed the cancellation of over 3,500 Delta and Delta Connection flights between Friday and Saturday.
As of around 8 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Delta had cancelled 626 flights and delayed 144, accounting for roughly 20% of its scheduled operations for the day. In contrast, American Airlines reported only 38 cancellations and 155 delays.
The root of Delta’s challenges stemmed from a faulty software update implemented by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike late Thursday night. This defect affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, preventing corporate users from accessing their systems and, in some instances, causing the severe “Blue Screen of Death” error.
The incident impacted a wide range of industries, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, but airlines, particularly Delta, experienced the most severe effects. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed, and an additional 5,171 were cancelled according to FlightAware.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret in a statement on Sunday, emphasizing that cancelling flights is a last resort. “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 stated.
He noted that numerous Delta applications rely on Microsoft Windows, including a crucial crew tracking tool that was unable to function due to the system shutdown. Delta has instituted a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights without incurring fees, in addition to offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg addressed the situation on social media late Sunday, revealing that his department had received “hundreds of complaints” about Delta’s handling of the disruptions. He insisted that Delta must provide refunds, free rebooking, and timely reimbursements for food and hotel expenses incurred by affected passengers.
“No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent,” Buttigieg added.