Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said Wednesday that flight cancellations and delays caused by a major IT outage would continue into Thursday.
Thousands of Delta Air Lines flights have been canceled or delayed since a global computer outage caused by security software CrowdStrike last Friday brought much of the airline industry to a halt.
“While initial efforts to stabilize operations have been difficult, frustratingly slow and complex, we have made good progress this week and the worst of the effects of the CrowdStrike outage are clearly over,” Bastian said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Department of Transportation said Tuesday it was opening an investigation into the airline over reports of a slow recovery and poor customer service.
Delta Air Lines was the only airline with cancellations or delays continuing beyond the weekend, with more than 300 flights delayed on Wednesday, according to a tracking service. Flight Aware.
Delta expects flight cancellations on Wednesday to be “minimal,” and Thursday will be “a more normal day with the airline fully recovered and operating at its traditional reliability levels,” Bastian said.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg Said “We have received reports of ongoing disruptions and unacceptable customer service conditions at Delta Airlines, including hundreds of complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation,” the department said Sunday.
“We have made it clear to Delta that we will enforce all applicable passenger protection measures,” he continued.
Bastian apologized to his customers. statement The airline said on Sunday it had been particularly hard hit by the technology outage because its crew management software relies on the computer systems affected by CrowdStrike.
“Flight cancellations will continue on Sunday as Delta teams work to restore systems and resume operations. Canceling a flight is always a last resort and is not a decision taken lightly,” he wrote.
