Delta Air Lines canceled hundreds of flights on Monday as it continues to deal with the aftermath of a global software outage that disrupted travel for three days.
The Atlanta-based airline reported the cancellation of 1,300 flights and 1,600 delays on Sunday, according to FlightAware. This followed over 3,500 flight cancellations involving Delta and Delta Connection from Friday to Saturday.
As of 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, amounting to around 20% of its scheduled operations. In comparison, American Airlines had only canceled 38 flights and delayed 155, roughly 5% of its planned operations.
The challenges for Delta arose from a flawed software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike late Thursday, which affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems. This left many corporate users unable to access their systems and in some cases, facing the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident had widespread impacts across various sectors, including healthcare, delivery, retail, and finance, but airlines, particularly Delta, faced the brunt of the disruptions. On Friday, over 46,000 flights were delayed with more than 5,171 cancellations, as noted by FlightAware.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret in a statement, saying, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort and something we don’t take lightly. I want to apologize to everyone affected by these events. Delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how challenging it is when travel plans are disrupted.”
Bastian explained that many of Delta’s applications rely on Microsoft Windows, including a crew tracking tool that failed to adjust due to the system outage. To assist impacted customers, Delta has implemented a travel waiver allowing free flight changes, along with meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg mentioned on social media that his department had received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s customer service during the disruptions, emphasizing that Delta must ensure refunds, free rebooking, and timely reimbursements for food and lodging to those affected. He added that no one should be left stranded overnight at an airport or stuck waiting on hold for customer service.