Delta Air Lines Crisis: Thousands Stranded After Cyber Outage

Delta Air Lines faced severe operational disruptions due to a global cyber outage, leading to over 5,000 flight cancellations since last Friday. The issue, tied to a software update by CrowdStrike affecting Microsoft systems, stranded thousands of travelers. CEO Ed Bastian assured continued adjustments for safety while dealing with passenger complaints.

Delta Air Lines struggled on Sunday to restore normal operations following last week's crippling global cyber outage, which resulted in the cancellation of 1,250 flights, in addition to the 3,500 already scrapped. This issue has stranded thousands of Delta travelers across the United States.

According to FlightAware, the Atlanta-based airline, which canceled a third of its schedule and delayed an additional 1,700 flights or 44%, is battling operational issues after the outage hit its crew tracking system. Delta has offered no timetable for resumption of normal operations and has already canceled another 305 flights for Monday, bringing the total of cancellations since Friday to over 5,000.

A software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike triggered system problems for Microsoft customers, including many airlines, on Friday. While other U.S. airlines have largely recovered, Delta has struggled to return to normal. Delta CEO Ed Bastian confirmed that the issue affected its Microsoft Windows systems, particularly one critical crew tracking application.

(With inputs from agencies.)