Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced on Tuesday that his department had launched an investigation into Delta Air Lines following a global tech outage that disrupted flights worldwide. The investigation aims to ensure Delta complies with passenger protection requirements during the disruptions. Buttigieg encouraged travelers who felt Delta did not comply with these protections to report their experiences to the department.
The Transportation Department’s consumer protection requirements cover issues such as lost baggage, lengthy tarmac delays, and compensation for overbooked flights. Buttigieg emphasized that passengers have the right to fair treatment and provided a link for passengers to submit their complaints. Delta faced criticism for barring unaccompanied minors from traveling without a guardian during the tech outage, which initially affected travel plans until Sunday but was later extended through Tuesday.
Delta has been the slowest U.S. airline to recover from the outage, canceling over 1,000 flights daily from Friday to Monday and an additional 445 flights by Tuesday morning. The tech outage, which affected Microsoft systems, also disrupted train networks and hospitals globally. Some families reported not being notified about the travel suspension for unaccompanied minors until they arrived at the airport, exacerbating the frustration among affected passengers.
