Delta cancellations investigated by US after global tech outage

U.S. regulators are investigating why Delta Air Lines failed to recover as quickly as other airlines from a global technology breakdown and whether Delta’s treatment of passengers stranded by canceled and delayed flights violated federal rules. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday announced the investigation into Delta’s response to the outage, which he said has affected more than half a million of the airline’s passengers. AP AUDIO: US is investigating Delta’s flight cancellations and faltering response to global tech outage In an AP interview, Cirium spokesman Jim Hetzel says the worldwide technology outage impacted Delta’s crew scheduling system, resulting in flight cancelations and delays. Buttigieg said his department will investigate “how it could be that days after the other airlines are back to normal, Delta is still canceling hundreds of flights.” At a news conference, Buttigieg said the Transportation Department will also examine Delta’s customer service, including “unacceptable” lines for customer service and reports that unaccompanied minors were stranded at airports. John Laughter, Delta’s chief of operations, said the airline was moving planes, pilots and flight attendants “to where they need to be so we can return to normal operations by the end of the week.” The collapse at Delta has been stunning for an outfit that was widely viewed as the best big U.S. airline — the most profitable before and after the pandemic, and the best-run.