U.S. regulators are currently investigating Delta Air Lines’ treatment of passengers impacted by delayed and canceled flights following a global technology outage that the airline is working to recover from. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg made the announcement of the Delta investigation on the X social media platform on Tuesday to ensure that the airline is adhering to regulations and providing proper care to passengers amidst the ongoing disruptions. “All airline passengers deserve fair treatment, and I will ensure that this right is respected,” Buttigieg stated.
By midday on the East Coast, Delta and its Delta Connection partners had canceled around 500 flights on Tuesday, making up the majority of flight cancellations in the United States. The outage, originating from a faulty software upgrade by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike to over 8 million Microsoft computers worldwide, began Thursday night and continued into Friday morning.
Since the start of the outage, the Atlanta-based carrier has canceled over 6,600 flights, surpassing other airlines significantly. Delta expressed cooperation with the investigation, emphasizing their efforts to restore operations affected by the faulty Windows update. The airline highlighted their focus on assisting and compensating affected customers.
Delta acknowledged that a significant portion of their technology systems operate on Microsoft Windows, including tools for scheduling pilots and flight attendants. These systems struggled to keep up with the influx of changes brought on by the outage.
The Transportation Department initiated the investigation in response to ongoing disruptions in Delta’s flights and reports of inadequate customer service. The probe will evaluate Delta’s compliance with federal regulations, particularly in terms of issuing prompt refunds to passengers facing flight cancellations or significant delays.
Parallel to the investigation, lawmakers are engaging in oversight, with Sen. Maria Cantwell expressing concern in a letter to Delta CEO Ed Bastian regarding potential non-compliance with passenger rights legislation passed by Congress earlier in the year.
Delta’s recent challenges are reminiscent of Southwest Airlines’ difficulties in December 2022, culminating in a significant number of flight cancellations. Notably, Southwest reached a settlement with the Department of Transportation involving a substantial fine. Industry observers point out similarities between Southwest’s recovery efforts and Delta’s current situation, highlighting the importance of how airlines manage crises and bounce back in such incidents.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
