Problems for some airlines continued on Monday, but the number of affected flights was declining, after a faulty software update caused technical disruptions around the world and forced several airlines to ground flights. Pictured, a Delta Airlines jet takes off from Logan International Airport in Boston, Friday, July 19, 2024. Michael Dwyer/AP/AP Hide caption
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Michael Dwyer/AP/AP
Delta Air Lines is struggling to recover from a global software outage on Friday, cancelling hundreds of flights for a third straight day as other U.S. airlines get back on their feet and return to normal operations.
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said in an open letter published Sunday that Friday’s outage caused the airline to suspend operations and cancel about 3,500 flights from Friday through Saturday, continuing into Sunday. Bastian said the outage occurred during what was considered the airline’s “busiest weekend of the summer.”
“Canceling a flight is always a last resort and something we don’t take lightly,” he added. “Delta is in the business of connecting the world and we understand how difficult it can be for our customers when their travels are interrupted.”
But on Monday, as most U.S. airlines recovered from the global outage, Delta continued to face problems, with more flights delayed or canceled.
As of Monday afternoon, the Atlanta-based airline had canceled more than 800 flights and delayed about 1,500, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.
In his open letter, Bastian wrote that several of Delta’s applications run on Microsoft Windows, and as a result, many of the tools were affected by the outage. More specifically, Bastian wrote that one of the airline’s crew tracking tools was inoperable and “could not effectively handle the unprecedented number of changes caused by the outage.”
The airline offered travel waivers to passengers on flights affected by the outage, allowing them to change their itineraries and rebook their flights at no extra charge.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, in a post on X on Sunday, slammed the airline for the ongoing disruptions and “unacceptable customer service.”
“We have received reports of ongoing disruptions and unacceptable customer service conditions at Delta, including hundreds of complaints filed with the Department of Transportation. We have made it clear that we will hold Delta to all applicable passenger protections,” Buttigieg wrote.
Delta Airlines is experiencing ongoing disruptions and reports of unacceptable customer service conditions, including hundreds of complaints filed with @USDOT.
I have made it clear to Delta that I will enforce all applicable passenger protection measures.
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) July 22, 2024
Buttigieg added that under new federal regulations, customers are not obligated to accept travel credits offered to rebook flights and are instead entitled to an immediate cash refund.
“Delta must provide prompt refunds to consumers who do not rebook, rebook at no charge to consumers who do, and provide timely refunds for meals and hotel accommodations and appropriate customer service assistance to consumers affected by delays and cancellations,” he added.
Delta’s technical issues are similar to those that Dallas-based Southwest Airlines experienced during the 2022 winter holiday season, when it canceled thousands of flights and upset millions of travelers.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has ordered Southwest Airlines to pay $140 million in civil penalties, by far the largest penalty the department has ever imposed on consumers, the department said in a statement announcing the fine.