Delta Air Lines struggles with operational disruptions amid efforts for recovery

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Delta Air Lines struggles with operational disruptions amid efforts for recovery

Research

Gary Leff Chief Financial Officer | View from the Wing

By Sky Industry News

Jul 23, 2024

Delta Air Lines may be starting to turn a corner with their internal operations after experiencing significant disruptions on Friday. The airline cancelled thousands of flights, displacing hundreds of thousands of passengers. These cancellations were nearly three times the total number for all of 2019 and more than the combined cancellations for 2018 and 2019.

Despite this potential progress, passengers are unlikely to notice improvements immediately. "Things are going to be very rough today," an official noted, with 12% of Delta flights cancelled and another 11% delayed as of today. In comparison, neither American Airlines nor Southwest Airlines have cancelled even 1% of their flights.

"Delta still hasn’t recovered from the CrowdStrike mess," commented Brendan Keefe from Atlanta News First via Twitter. He described ATL airport filled with unclaimed bags and last-minute flight cancellations without adequate rebooking support.

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The primary issue has been Delta's inability to keep track of its crew and assign them to flights efficiently. This has resulted in planes and crews being out of position, leading to further operational challenges such as employees timing out and planes missing scheduled maintenance.

However, there are signs that systems are beginning to recover. Aviation watchdog JonNYC reported significant progress on crew tracking: "DL: Crew Tracking queue is below 1,000 for first time since Friday."

Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) has opened an investigation into Delta Air Lines' handling of passenger care during these disruptions. "All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly," Buttigieg stated.

Critics argue that Delta has not fully acknowledged the extent of their issues publicly or taken ownership. They point out that despite having outdated technology and laying off IT staff last fall, Delta continues to blame external forces rather than addressing internal shortcomings directly.