Delta Airlines faced ongoing cancellations on Monday due to the aftermath of the CrowdStrike global IT outage that occurred on Friday. As of Monday afternoon, Delta had already canceled over 750 mainline flights, which accounted for a significant 19% of its schedule on that day. This figure does not include the flights from the Delta Connection regional network, which is managed by contracted operators. Endeavor Air, one of Delta’s regional subsidiaries, had to cancel 65 flights, representing 9% of its network due to the ongoing issue.
Impact on Airlines
Delta’s struggles with cancellations have persisted for four consecutive days since the CrowdStrike outage affected the Microsoft Windows operating system used by Delta and other airlines. The airline industry data provider OAG reported that Delta, along with Delta Connection, had to cancel a total of 4,675 flights between Friday and Sunday, surpassing all other airlines. United Airlines followed with 1,706 flight cancellations. However, United had managed to restore its network by Monday, as indicated by FlightAware. American Airlines also faced disruptions with 860 cancelled flights over the weekend, mostly on Friday. Spirit Airlines, though not as large as the top three U.S. airlines, had to cancel 550 flights from Friday to Sunday due to the IT outage.
Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, provided an update to customers on Sunday, acknowledging that the airline relies on numerous applications in the Windows operating system. One of Delta’s crew-tracking tools was particularly affected, causing difficulties in processing the significant number of schedule changes prompted by the operational disruption. Bastian recognized the challenges faced by passengers, especially since the IT outage occurred during Delta’s busiest travel weekend of the summer, with booked aircraft loads exceeding 90%.
Expressing regret for the inconvenience caused to customers, Bastian issued an apology and emphasized Delta’s commitment to connecting the world seamlessly. To assist affected travelers, Delta has extended its travel waiver related to the disruption through Tuesday. The airline is also offering to waive fare differences for rebookings scheduled to begin no later than July 28. In addition to travel vouchers, Delta is providing impacted customers with SkyMiles points as compensation for the disruptions they have experienced. Despite the challenges faced, Delta is working diligently to restore its operations to normalcy.
The IT outage and subsequent flight cancellations have undoubtedly presented challenges for Delta Airlines and its passengers. As one of the leading airlines in the U.S., Delta’s focus on customer service and operational efficiency will be critical in overcoming this setback. By implementing effective solutions and communication strategies, Delta aims to minimize the impact on its customers and resume normal operations as swiftly as possible.
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