The Department of Transportation is looking into Delta Air Lines to ensure that it is adequately serving consumers as the airline continues to face cancellations following a global technology outage last week.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of fair treatment for all airline passengers in a social media statement on Tuesday. He noted that his department had received numerous complaints regarding Delta’s handling of the situation caused by the outages.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has encountered challenges in fully restarting its operations after a problematic software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike late Thursday. This defect affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users without access and some facing the infamous “Blue Screen of Death.”
The impact of this incident was widespread, affecting numerous industries such as healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, with airlines and airports experiencing significant disruptions. On Friday alone, over 46,000 flights were reported delayed and another 5,171 were canceled, according to FlightAware, with Delta being particularly hard hit.
The airline canceled around 3,500 flights over the weekend and reported more than 2,500 cancellations on Sunday and Monday, along with 3,441 delays. By Tuesday, 738 flights had been either canceled or delayed, as per FlightAware.
“Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don’t take lightly,” stated Delta CEO Ed Bastian on Sunday. He expressed apologies to everyone affected by the disruptions, reaffirming Delta’s commitment to connecting the world and acknowledging the difficulties travelers face when their plans are altered.
Bastian explained that Delta relies on many applications that use Microsoft Windows, including a tool for tracking crew members, which could not adapt to the changes caused by the system shutdown. To assist customers, Delta has introduced a travel waiver allowing free flight changes, and is providing meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation options.