Tech outage ensnarls Delta, prompts hearings

Delta customers wait in line for new flights after tech outage canceled thousands of flights

The airline canceled more than 5,500 flights following a technology outage caused by CrowdStrike

(Image credit: Jessica McGowan / Getty Images)

published 23 July 2024

What happened

Delta Air Lines canceled more than 800 flights on Monday, struggling to recover from a worldwide technology outage even as most other airlines and affected companies largely resumed normal operations. The outage started Friday when cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike released a faulty update for Microsoft Windows devices, sparking global mayhem at airlines, hospitals, logistics companies and other institutions. Delta was hit especially hard, canceling more than 5,500 flights total.

It will be "another couple of days" before "the worst is clearly behind us," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said to employees Monday. "Today will be a better day than yesterday, and hopefully Tuesday and Wednesday will be that much better again."

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he told Bastian on Sunday that his agency had received "hundreds of complaints" about Delta and made clear "we will hold them to all applicable passenger protections," including refunds for customers who want them.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.