Delta Air Lines has announced that it expects the flight cancellations and delays caused by a global technology breakdown to be resolved by Thursday. The carrier's chief executive issued an apology to affected travelers after a defective software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike disrupted operations last week.
The CEO acknowledged the initial challenges faced in stabilizing operations, describing them as slow and complex. However, he assured customers that significant progress has been made throughout the week, indicating that the worst impacts of the outage are now behind them.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has launched an investigation into Delta's response to the incident, particularly focusing on the airline's recovery time compared to other carriers. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg highlighted concerns over customer service issues, including long wait times for assistance and reports of unaccompanied minors being stranded at airports. The department has received over 3,000 complaints related to the disruptions.
Delta has committed to assisting affected passengers by providing meals, hotel accommodations, and ground transportation through vouchers and reimbursements. Additionally, impacted travelers will receive airline miles and travel vouchers as a gesture of apology.
The airline anticipates only minimal flight cancellations for Wednesday, with operations expected to return to normal by Thursday. Delta's CEO reassured customers that the airline will be fully recovered and operating at a traditional level of reliability by the end of the week.
