The technical issues stem from an update issued for systems that run on Microsoft Windows by the security firm CrowdStrike, whose software is widely used by businesses seeking to defend themselves against hackers. The problems Friday affected only computers on the Windows operating system, CrowdStrike said, leaving Apple- and Linux-run operating systems unaffected.
Delta in particular has been the subject of hundreds of complaints filed with the U.S. Transportation Department over “continued disruptions and unacceptable customer service conditions,” according to a social media post Sunday from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“I have made clear to Delta that we will hold them to all applicable passenger protections,” Buttigieg said.
In a Sunday blog post, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said that the outage had affected an important tool related to crew tracking and that it was unable to effectively process the “unprecedented” number of changes triggered by the system shutdown.
“Our teams have been working around the clock to recover and restore full functionality,” Bastian wrote.
The outage has taken a bigger toll on Delta than its rivals. It scrubbed 1,200 flights Friday, while United Airlines canceled 649 flights, American Airlines scrapped 408, and Spirit Airlines cut 234. All told, there were about 46,000 flights canceled worldwide Friday, according to FlightAware.
The problems with staffing tools drew comparisons to the 2022 Christmas meltdown at Southwest Airlines, which canceled or significantly delayed about 16,900 flights, disrupting the travel plans of 2 million people, according to a Transportation Department investigation. In that case, a winter storm spiraled into a broader staffing crisis as the airline’s system for matching crew members with aircraft couldn’t keep up.
The agency ultimately fined Southwest $140 million over its handling of the crisis.
By late morning Monday, Delta had canceled 18 percent of its flights and delayed an additional 11 percent. The carrier said it had communicated directly with customers, offering them an apology along with SkyMiles program miles or a travel voucher. It also offered to cover certain expenses through meal vouchers, hotel accommodations and ground transportation. Additionally, the carrier extended a travel waiver allowing previously scheduled fliers to rebook their flights for free.
The Transportation Department has emphasized that Delta must inform its customers that they are entitled to a refund if they choose not to travel.
The department lists each airline’s customer service commitments in the event of “controllable” cancellations and delays on the website flightrights.gov.
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