The U.S. Department of Transportation is currently investigating Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is adequately addressing consumer needs as it continues to face flight cancellations following a global technology outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for airline passengers, stating on social media that his department has received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s response to the tech disruptions.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has had difficulty restoring normal operations after a flawed software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike affected various businesses on a global scale. This update created issues with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users without access and experiencing critical errors.
The impact of this incident was widespread, negatively affecting numerous industries, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance. Airlines and airports were particularly hard hit, with more than 46,000 flight delays and 5,171 cancellations reported on Friday alone.
Delta acknowledged canceling approximately 3,500 flights over Friday and Saturday, with additional cancellations of over 2,500 flights on Sunday and Monday, alongside 3,441 delays. By Tuesday, another 738 flights were affected, according to FlightAware.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret over the cancellations, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly.” He apologized to all passengers affected by these disruptions, emphasizing Delta’s commitment to connecting people worldwide. The airline is offering customers a travel waiver to change flights at no cost, as well as meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation assistance.