- Delta Air Lines has cancelled over 4,000 flights since Friday, affecting 21% of its scheduled flights and leaving thousands stranded.
- While Delta takes steps to mitigate the disruptions caused by a cybersecurity outage, it still raises concerns over the airline’s ability to handle emergencies.
OUR TAKE
The flight disruption caused by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike was not Delta’s fault, but as a well-known airline respected for its reliable operations, Delta’s slower recovery showed its lack of ability to respond to emergencies. This will undermine customers’ trust, thus affecting its future business landscape.
–Ashley Wang, BTW reporter
What happened
Delta Air Lines is grappling with severe operational disruptions following a global cyber outage caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. Since Friday, the Atlanta-based airline has been forced to cancel over 4,000 flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. This has notably affected Delta more than other US carriers, with over 800 flights, accounting for 21% of its scheduled total, cancelled by Monday afternoon.
The software issue rendered about 60% of Delta’s critical Microsoft Windows-based applications inoperable, necessitating manual repairs and reboots by the airline’s IT teams. The crew tracker application, vital for ensuring flights have the necessary crew, remains the most challenging to restore.
Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, stated that while progress is being made, full recovery will take a few more days. He acknowledged the impact on customers, particularly given the high travel volume during the summer’s busiest weekend. The airline is facing criticism from customers, many of whom have experienced long waits for assistance or had to find alternative travel arrangements.
Also read: Microsoft secures landmark carbon capture deal with 1PointFive
Also read: Global outage: CrowdStrike update cripples key services
Why it’s important
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has urged Delta to address customer complaints promptly, including providing refunds and rebooking options. Delta has responded by increasing incentive pay for its staff and requesting crew members to volunteer for extra trips to mitigate the impact.
The significance of this incident extends beyond immediate disruptions. Although the disturbance of the flight caused by the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike is not the fault of Delta, the company, which is known for its reliable operations and on-time performance, is underperforming in its recovering speed. Compared with other major US carriers who had also been impacted by the outage and have already recovered their businesses, the still-lasting issue in Delta indicates the shortage of ability to deal with emergencies. The extended outage not only undermines this reliability but also raises broader concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to cybersecurity failures.
