Delta's Nightmare Continues: DOT Launches Investigation as Flight Chaos Enters Day Five

The U.S. Department of Transportation has launched an investigation into Delta Air Lines following five days of widespread flight disruptions that have left thousands of passengers stranded. The chaos began last Friday when a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike caused a global IT outage, affecting Delta's critical crew-tracking system. While other airlines have largely recovered, Delta continues to struggle, canceling over 5,500 flights since Friday – more than half of its total cancellations for all of 2023.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the investigation on Tuesday, stating, "All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld." The DOT is responding to hundreds of complaints about Delta's failure to honor its customer service commitments, including providing hotel and meal vouchers, offering rebooking options on other airlines, and issuing prompt refunds.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian acknowledged the severity of the situation, saying it would take "another couple days" before "the worst is clearly behind us." The airline claims it is working around the clock to restore operations, but as of Tuesday morning, it had already canceled 415 flights – far exceeding cancellations by any other U.S. carrier. Frustrated travelers have reported paying hefty prices for tickets on other airlines to reach their destinations.

While Delta has stated it will cooperate fully with the DOT investigation, the airline faces mounting pressure to resolve the crisis and compensate affected passengers. The incident has also drawn attention from U.S. House leaders, who are calling on CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz to testify before Congress about the company's role in the tech outage. As the investigation unfolds, all eyes remain on Delta to see how quickly it can recover and regain the trust of its customers.

(Sources: Zach Wichter, USA TODAY; Aimee Picchi, CBS News; Max Zahn, ABC News)