Delta Air Lines faced significant disruptions on Monday, canceling hundreds of flights as the airline continues to recover from a global software outage that occurred three days earlier.
The Atlanta-based carrier canceled 1,300 flights and delayed 1,600 on Sunday alone, according to FlightAware. This followed over 3,500 cancellations of Delta and Delta Connection flights between Friday and Saturday.
By 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, accounting for about 20% of its planned operations. In contrast, American Airlines reported only 38 cancellations and 155 delays, which is approximately 5% of its scheduled flights.
The disruption was caused by a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike late Thursday night. The update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leading to accessibility issues for corporate users, with some even facing the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
Various industries, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, were impacted, but airlines and airports experienced the most severe effects. On Friday, over 46,000 flights were delayed, and 5,171 were canceled, marking Delta as one of the hardest hit.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret for the inconvenience, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to everyone impacted by these events.”
Bastian noted that Delta relies on many applications using Microsoft Windows, including a crew tracking tool that failed to process necessary changes due to the outage. In response, Delta has issued a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights at no cost, alongside providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reported receiving “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s management of the disruptions. He emphasized that Delta is obligated to offer refunds, free rebooking, and timely reimbursements for food and hotel expenses to affected customers.
“Buttigieg further stated, “No one should be stranded at an airport overnight or stuck on hold for hours waiting to talk to a customer service agent.”