Delta Air Lines canceled hundreds of flights on Monday as it continues to recover from a global software outage that disrupted air travel for three consecutive days.
The Atlanta-based airline canceled 1,300 flights and delayed another 1,600 on Sunday, as reported by FlightAware. This followed the cancellation of over 3,500 Delta and Delta Connection flights between Friday and Saturday.
By around 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Delta had already canceled 626 flights and delayed 144, amounting to about 20% of its scheduled operations. In contrast, American Airlines reported only 38 canceled flights and 155 delayed, which is roughly 5% of its planned flights.
The problems at Delta originated from a failed software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike that occurred late Thursday. The update caused issues with Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving corporate users without access to critical systems and dealing with the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident impacted nearly every significant industry, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, but airlines and airports suffered the most. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were delayed and more than 5,171 were canceled, with Delta being the hardest hit.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret, stating, “Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly. 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 noted that numerous Delta applications rely on Microsoft Windows, which affected tools necessary for tracking crew changes during the system shutdown. The airline has implemented a travel waiver allowing customers to change their flights without fees, as well as offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg addressed the issue on social media, stating that his department received “hundreds of complaints” regarding Delta’s management of the disruptions. He emphasized that Delta is required to provide refunds, free rebooking, and timely reimbursements for meals and hotels for 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 stated.