Delta Air Lines Set to Resume Normal Operations After Major System Failure

Delta Air Lines plans to resume normal operations Thursday after a significant IT system failure led to over 6,000 flight cancellations. The U.S. Transportation Department is investigating the disruptions that affected over 500,000 passengers. Representative Rick Larsen will introduce legislation to enhance airline operational resilience.

Delta Air Lines, which has canceled more than 6,000 flights since a widespread IT system failure last Friday, announced it would resume normal operations by Thursday. The Atlanta-based carrier canceled just 47 flights on Wednesday as of 8 a.m. ET, significantly down from the 511 cancellations on Tuesday and 1,160 on Monday.

CEO Ed Bastian indicated that Delta expected minimal cancellations on Wednesday and a return to normalcy by Thursday, acknowledging the initial efforts to stabilize operations were challenging and slow. The disruption was caused by a software update from global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, affecting several airlines but hitting Delta the hardest.

The U.S. Transportation Department launched an investigation into the incident on Tuesday, focusing on why Delta struggled more than other airlines to recover and its level of customer service resources. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the need for basic customer service standards after passengers faced delays, long wait times, and the necessity to rent cars to reach their destinations.

Representative Rick Larsen, the top Democrat on the House Transportation Committee, announced plans to introduce legislation to improve airlines' operational resilience. Senate Commerce Committee chair Maria Cantwell expressed concerns over possible non-compliance with passenger rights obligations by Delta.

In a related incident, Southwest Airlines agreed to a record $140 million civil penalty last December over a 2022 holiday meltdown, which led to 16,900 flight cancellations and stranded 2 million passengers, concluding a U.S. Department of Transportation investigation.

(With inputs from agencies.)