The Department of Transportation has launched an investigation into Delta Air Lines to ensure consumer rights are being upheld following a series of flight cancellations triggered by a global tech outage last week.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg emphasized on social media that all airline passengers deserve fair treatment, mentioning the department had received hundreds of complaints about Delta’s response to the recent disruptions.
Delta, based in Atlanta, has faced significant challenges in restoring normal operations after a faulty software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike caused widespread impacts across various sectors. A flaw in the update affected Microsoft’s Windows operating systems, leaving many corporate users locked out of their systems and some facing the notorious “Blue Screen of Death.”
The incident reverberated through multiple industries, including healthcare, delivery services, retail, and finance, but airlines and airports bore the brunt of the fallout. On the Friday following the outage, over 46,000 flights were delayed and more than 5,171 canceled, with Delta being particularly hard hit.
The airline reported canceling approximately 3,500 flights on Friday and Saturday alone, followed by more than 2,500 cancellations on Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday, the disruption continued with 738 flights either canceled or delayed.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed regret in a statement, stating that canceling flights is never a decision taken lightly, and he apologized to those affected. He highlighted that Delta relies heavily on Microsoft applications, including one crucial for crew tracking, which was unable to function due to the system shutdown.
In response to the ongoing situation, Delta will provide customers with a travel waiver allowing free flight changes as well as offering meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation services.