Delta Air Lines Recovers After Massive Cyber Outage

Delta Air Lines is working to restore normal operations after a significant cyber outage, with only 1% of flights canceled on Wednesday. Despite the disruptions, CEO Ed Bastian traveled to Paris for business, aligning with the upcoming Summer Olympics. The U.S. Transportation Department has launched an investigation into the incident.

Delta Air Lines is making strides in restoring its services following a global cyber outage and aims to resume regular operations by Thursday, according to CEO Ed Bastian.

The Atlanta-based airline was severely impacted by the outage, canceling over 6,000 flights and stranding hundreds of thousands of travelers since last Friday. By Wednesday, only 1% of scheduled flights were canceled.

Bastian's trip to Paris for the start of the Summer Olympics raised eyebrows, but Delta clarified he flew on a regularly scheduled flight for essential meetings. The company emphasized his continued engagement with senior operations leaders. The airline reported just 47 cancellations, 1% of the total scheduled flights on Wednesday, expecting normalcy by Thursday.

In a statement, Bastian acknowledged the initial slow and complex efforts to stabilize operations but assured significant progress had been made. The cyber outage was caused by a software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, affecting Microsoft customers, including multiple airlines. While other U.S. carriers quickly recovered, Delta faced prolonged disruptions.

The U.S. Transportation Department has opened an investigation into the Delta disruptions, which affected over 500,000 passengers. Many customers reported lengthy waits for assistance, with some choosing to drive hundreds of miles to their destinations or wait days for new flights. Representative Rick Larsen announced plans to introduce legislation for improved airline operational resilience, criticizing the slow response to the meltdown. Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell expressed concerns about Delta's compliance with passenger rights obligations under the new law.