Delta Airlines is grappling with severe operational disruptions following a global IT glitch that struck last Friday. In the wake of this incident, the airline has canceled an additional 1,555 flights, exacerbating travel woes for thousands of passengers.
While other airlines have largely recovered, Delta continues to face significant challenges, having canceled 1,250 flights on Sunday and another 305 on Monday. The total number of canceled flights since the glitch began now exceeds 5,000, significantly impacting travelers across the United States.
According to the Financial Times, the glitch has left thousands of Delta passengers stranded, forcing some to rent cars and drive hundreds of miles, while others may face days-long delays or have to cancel their trips entirely. The outage has primarily affected Delta’s crew tracking system, a critical component for managing flight schedules.
FlightAware reports that Delta has canceled a third of its schedule and delayed another 1,700 flights, accounting for 44% of its operations. The Atlanta-based airline is working to resolve the issues but has yet to provide a clear timeline for the resumption of normal operations.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian explained that the problem stemmed from an issue with its Microsoft Windows systems, particularly affecting a crew tracking-related tool. “One of our crew tracking-related tools was affected and unable to effectively process the unprecedented number of changes triggered by the system shutdown,” Bastian stated in an email to customers.
In a separate communication to employees, Bastian emphasized that Delta would continue to “tactically adjust” schedules to ensure safety. Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has engaged with Bastian, reminding him of Delta’s responsibilities to its customers and the Department of Transportation’s enforcement role.
Delta Airlines is working tirelessly to mitigate the impact of this unprecedented disruption, striving to restore normalcy for its passengers and ensure future resilience against such technological setbacks.