Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced on Tuesday that Delta Air Lines is under investigation days after the company tried to return to normal following last week's tech outage.
The outage, which disrupted systems ranging from travel, banking and other industries, was caused by a failed software update to computers using Microsoft operating systems. While other airlines have largely recovered from Friday's outage, Delta has struggled to resume normal service.
According to travel tracker FlightAware, 30% of Delta flights were canceled on Monday, in addition to 46% that were delayed. American Airlines and United Airlines only had about 2% of its flights canceled on Monday, FlightAware said.
Additionally, 12% of Delta flights were canceled for Tuesday, as of 9 a.m. ET, with the list continuing to grow.
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On Tuesday, Buttigieg said that the Transportation Department "has opened an investigation into Delta Air Lines to ensure the airline is following the law and taking care of its passengers during continued widespread disruptions. All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld."
Buttigieg said on Sunday that the Transportation Department received hundreds of complaints from customers of "unacceptable customer service donations" involving Delta.
"Delta must provide prompt refunds to consumers who choose not to take rebooking, free rebooking for those who do, and timely reimbursements for food and hotel stays to consumers affected by these delays and cancellations, as well as adequate customer service assistance," Buttigieg said.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian issued an apology on Sunday to customers impacted by the glitch.
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"The technology issue occurred on the busiest travel weekend of the summer, with our booked loads exceeding 90%, limiting our reaccommodation capabilities," he said. "I want to apologize to every one of you who have been impacted by these events. Delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how difficult it can be when your travels are disrupted."
Delta CEO Ed Bastian sent the following email to customers on Wednesday morning as the airline continues to recover from the impact of last week's CrowdStrike outage.
Since the CrowdStrike outage late last week, Delta’s team of the best professionals in the business has been working around the clock to restore the reliable, on-time operation you’ve come to know and expect when you fly with us.
While our initial efforts to stabilize the operations were difficult and frustratingly slow and complex, we have made good progress this week and the worst impacts of the CrowdStrike-caused outage are clearly behind us. Delays and cancellations were down 50% Tuesday compared to Monday, and we anticipate cancellations Wednesday to be minimal. Thursday is expected to be a normal day, with the airline fully recovered and operating at a traditional level of reliability.
I know the last few days have been difficult. To our customers who were impacted, I want to thank you for your patience and apologize again for the disruption to your travel.
We understand how important travel is in your lives, and we remain committed to taking care of those whose flights may still be impacted, with meals, hotel accommodations and ground transportation offered through vouchers and reimbursements. We’re also providing impacted customers with Delta SkyMiles and travel vouchers as a further gesture of apology.
I also want to extend my thanks and gratitude to Delta’s amazing team of 100,000 aviation professionals, who have been working tirelessly to take care of our customers and ensure their safety in a challenging operating environment.
We will continue to keep you informed via delta.com and the Fly Delta app for the latest information on your itinerary.
I’ve received emails from many of you who are understandably frustrated with the pace of progress and the difficulty in getting the service you deserve. I’ve also received many notes of encouragement and support commenting on the heroic efforts of our people, who are working under trying and stressful conditions. Thank you for your feedback, as well as your patience and understanding.
Buttigieg encouraged consumers who believe Delta has not complied with passenger protection obligations to contact the Department of Transportation.
