The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Office of Aviation Consumer Protection has recently launched an investigation into Delta Air Lines due to their ongoing operational meltdown. DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized that Delta must prioritize taking care of their passengers and upholding their customer-service commitments, as it is not only the right thing to do but also a legal obligation. The DOT has vowed to use all investigative and enforcement measures at its disposal to ensure that the rights of Delta’s passengers are protected.
Since the July 19 CrowdStrike outage, Delta has been forced to cancel over 5,400 mainline flights and delay more than 7,700. The outage caused the crash of the Microsoft Windows operating system that Delta relies on for more than half of its IT systems globally. The chaos resulting from the operational meltdown has led to numerous customer-service issues for Delta flyers, including lost baggage, long wait times on customer service calls, and malfunctioning digital rebooking tools. The situation has been further compounded by delays and cancellations of Delta Connection regional flights, although the regional cancellations have eased in recent days.
In response to the crisis, Delta has declared that it is fully cooperating with the DOT’s investigation. The airline is focused on restoring its operations after the faulty Windows update by cybersecurity vendor CrowdStrike disrupted its IT systems worldwide. Delta employees are working diligently to assist affected customers and provide them with the service they expect from the airline. Delta has committed to issuing SkyMiles points or travel vouchers to impacted customers, with the compensation based on the level of disruption to their travel plans. Additionally, Delta is offering to reimburse customers for expenses such as hotels, meals, and ground transportation incurred during their travel disruptions. Customers who have had their flights canceled or significantly delayed also have the option to request a refund through Delta’s website.
The investigation into Delta’s operational meltdown is expected to follow a similar path to the one conducted into Southwest Airlines following a similar incident during the 2022 holiday season. Southwest faced nearly 17,000 flight cancellations over an 11-day period, leading to a consent decree with the DOT that included $140 million in penalties for the airline. Delta will likely need to address any shortcomings in its operational procedures and customer service policies to avoid facing similar financial penalties and reputational damage. It remains to be seen how Delta will navigate the aftermath of this operational crisis and restore the trust of its passengers.