USDOT Launches Investigation into Delta Air Lines Over Massive Flight Cancellations

The U.S. Transportation Department is investigating Delta Air Lines after it canceled over 5,000 flights since Friday due to a global cyber outage. While other airlines have resumed operations, Delta continues to cancel hundreds of flights daily, prompting scrutiny from officials to ensure passenger rights are being upheld.

The U.S. Transportation Department announced on Tuesday that it has opened an investigation into Delta Air Lines following the cancellation of more than 5,000 flights since Friday. This disruption comes as the airline struggles to recover from a global cyber outage that has affected airlines worldwide. Despite other carriers resuming normal operations, Delta continues to cancel hundreds of flights daily, citing issues with its crew scheduling system.

Since Friday, Delta has canceled over 30% of its flights each day, with Monday alone seeing 1,150 flight cancellations. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated that the investigation aims to ensure that Delta is adhering to legal requirements and properly addressing passenger concerns amid these widespread disruptions. He emphasized that the Department of Transportation will use its full investigative and enforcement powers to uphold the rights of Delta's passengers.

Delta has acknowledged the notice of investigation and expressed its commitment to cooperating fully. The airline claimed that its teams are working tirelessly to support affected customers and restore reliable, on-time service. Despite these efforts, Delta shares experienced a 0.5% drop in early trading. CEO Ed Bastian mentioned that it would take a few more days for Delta's operations to fully recover. The cancellations originated from system issues triggered by a software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, affecting several airlines including Delta.