Delta Scrubs Hundreds of Flights as the Airline’s Troubles Spill Into Fifth Day

Delta's woes following a technology glitch that knocked its systems offline stretched into its fifth day Tuesday, leading to hundreds more flights canceled or delayed and passengers left wondering if and when they may get to their destination.

By 7 a.m., the airline had called off 400 flights across its worldwide network, including 67 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Another 21 outbound and 26 inbound flights were running behind schedule, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.com.

"That's better than this time yesterday...but still unacceptable," said Thrifty Traveler Editor Kyle Potter in a post on the social media site X. "This stopped being a CrowdStrike problem days ago. It's a Delta problem."

Overnight, lines formed at the MSP Airport with travelers standing waiting well after midnight to rebook flights, according to posts on social media.

On Friday, a software update carried out by the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike contained a bug and took down Microsoft Windows operating systems worldwide, including hospitals, banks, businesses, government services and airlines.

But while other airlines have largely recovered, Delta continues to struggle to catch up and get flights back in the air.

The Atlanta-based airline called off more than 3,500 flights through Saturday and topped 1,150 on Monday, according to FlightAware.

The airline on Monday afternoon said the system it uses to schedule flight crews and get aircraft to the right airport is "deeply complex and is requiring the most time and manual support to synchronize."

"Across the operation, Delta teams are working tirelessly to care for customers impacted by delays and cancellations as the airline works to put flight crews and aircraft back in position following the disruption," the airline added.

"I want to apologize to every one of you who have been impacted by these events," the airline's CEO Ed Bastian wrote to passengers in an email. " Delta is in the business of connecting the world, and we understand how difficult it can be when your travels are disrupted. Canceling a flight is always a last resort, and something we don't take lightly."

Delta has offered travelers waivers, allowing them to rebook their trips and fare differences will be waived through Sunday. Travelers who experienced a "significant" delay or cancellation can also request a refund, according to the airline's cancellation and delayed flight information webpage.

Meanwhile, the United States Department of Transportation has opened an investigation into Delta to ensure the airline is following the law and taking care of passengers as widespread disruptions continue.

"All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld," said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

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