USDOT Closes Delta Outage Investigation Without Penalties

The U.S. Department of Transportation closed its investigation into a 2024 Delta Air Lines outage without penalties, acknowledging Delta's customer care efforts during the disruption. The decision follows the department's recent trend of waiving fines for airline meltdowns under the Trump administration.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has concluded its investigation into Delta Air Lines regarding a severe 2024 outage without enforcing any penalties. This meltdown had affected 1.3 million travelers globally, incurring losses of $500 million for the carrier.

The Biden administration initiated the probe into Delta after other carriers rebounded more efficiently post-outage. A USDOT representative noted that Delta's passengers received prompt refunds and assistance for baggage and disabilities.

USDOT's decision aligns with recent patterns of rolling back airline penalties, a move attributed to increased consumer protection initiatives during Trump's tenure. In previous instances, fines for Southwest and American Airlines were also waived, highlighting a trend in relaxed airline accountability.