Delta Expects to Resume Normal Operations by Mid-Wednesday

ATLANTA, GA — Two days after a massive power outage disrupted Delta Air Lines' computer systems, the company said it expects to resume a full, normal schedule by mid-to-late afternoon Wednesday, though a chance of scattered thunderstorms expected in the eastern U.S. may slow the recovery.

Teams across the airline continued work during the overnight hours to bring an end to the impact of Monday’s outage that disrupted operations. Delta began Wednesday's operation with a little more than 150 system-wide cancellations after roughly 800 flights were canceled Tuesday.

The system-wide outage that the company experienced Monday started with a power outage in Atlanta around 2:30 a.m. In a statement, Georgia Power said the company experienced an "equipment failure" that caused the outage.

“We’re in the final hours of bouncing back from the disruption,” said Bill Lentsch, Delta’s senior vice president of airport customer service and airline operations. “Delta employees have been working around the clock and are committed to bringing the airline back to full strength. We know this has been a rough couple of days for our customers and apologize to those who have experienced our less-than-stellar operation.”

Customers all the way from Tokyo to San Francisco complained on Twitter that they were stranded at airports.

See also:
Delta Flight Cancellations Continue as System Recovers After Outage
Delta Cancels More Than 650 Flights; CEO Apologizes

On Monday, the company reported canceling around 1,000 flights. The outage and extensive cancellations forced Delta CEO Ed Bastian to apologize to customers.

Delta offers more than 15,000 flights daily and serves nearly 180 million customers every year, according to its website. Statistics cited by the BBC say the airline is the third largest in the world in terms of passengers. The company's shares closed down 0.6 percent on Monday.

Leaders and employees continue to focus on promptly moving departures at the airline's Atlanta hub, the world's busiest. Delta sent reservations personnel from the corporate headquarters in Atlanta to help customer service agents process customers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. A cadre of additional employees were also positioned throughout the Atlanta Airport to help customers get to their flights.

Customers traveling today should check the status of their flight at delta.com or the Fly Delta App. Customers can re-book their flight via the website.

Delta's travel waiver has been extended and the airline continued to provide hotel vouchers to several thousand customers, including more than 2,300 Tuesday night in Atlanta. Through noon Eastern time, Delta will extend its offer of compensation to customers significantly affected by delays or cancellations to cover Tuesday. Many customers have already been contacted by Delta agents.

Unaccompanied minors will again be allowed to travel on Delta Wednesday following a temporary stay during the height of the disruption.

Image: Delta Air Lines