Delta Air Lines is currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection due to a software outage caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike that took down Microsoft systems worldwide. This has led to Delta canceling 471 flights and delaying another 1,211 flights, far exceeding cancellations by any other U.S. airline. The Transportation Department is looking into Delta’s continued widespread flight disruptions and reports of customer service failures in response to the outage.
Many travelers have been impacted by the ongoing software outage, with frustrations rising as Delta continues to struggle with restoring its operations. Some passengers have had to pay for expensive tickets on other airlines to reach their destinations. Delta CEO Ed Bastian has stated that it will take another couple of days before the airline can fully recover from the outage. Other carriers have returned to normal levels of service disruptions, placing a spotlight on Delta’s relatively slower response to the outage that affected airlines, hospitals, and businesses worldwide.
In response to the disruptions, Delta has extended a travel waiver for customers with trips booked from July 19 to July 28, allowing them to make a one-time change to their itinerary free of charge. Customers also have the option to request a refund for their flights. The airline is working to reunite lost bags with customers by setting up an internal Baggage Command Center in Atlanta, where most lost bags are located. The airline has also canceled over 5,500 flights since the start of the outage and continues to focus on returning bags to customers as quickly as possible.
The outage has affected Delta’s crew-tracking software, limiting its ability to process the high number of changes necessitated by the situation. Regulatory bodies and lawmakers are now paying attention to the failures by CrowdStrike and Delta, with calls for investigations and accountability being made. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has received complaints about Delta’s handling of the situation and expects the airline to provide adequate accommodations for affected passengers. The situation is drawing parallels to Southwest Airlines’ mass disruptions in December 2022, with consumer advocates highlighting the importance of how an airline recovers from such incidents to assess its overall effectiveness.
Overall, the ongoing software outage at Delta Air Lines has led to widespread flight disruptions and customer service challenges, prompting federal investigations and concerns from passengers. The airline is working to restore its operations and address customer needs, including refunds and lost baggage. The incident has raised questions about Delta’s response to the outage and comparisons to its competitors in the airline industry. Moving forward, Delta will need to focus on recovery efforts, transparency, and meeting regulatory expectations to regain trust and ensure a smoother experience for travelers.
