The U.S. Department of Transportation has closed its investigation into Delta Air Lines launched after the carrier suffered an operational meltdown following a July 2024 CrowdStrike-originated global IT outage, DOT confirmed.
The agency opened the probe in July 2024, which at the time was led by former Secretary Pete Buttigeig, after Delta canceled approximately 7,000 flights in the days following the outage as it struggled to recover compared with competitors. Delta CEO Ed Bastian shortly after the incident said that the outage cost the airline $500 million in five days.
"After review it was determined that Delta's passengers received prompt refunds, adequate baggage assistance, and appropriate assistance for passengers with disabilities," DOT said in a statement. "Because the President has directed his Administration to ensure enforcement actions serve the public interest, the matter was closed with direction given to Delta to provide adequate customer service assistance including timely notification of the right to seek a refund."
"We are grateful to the Department of Transportation for recognizing the catastrophic circumstances we faced as an industry during the unprecedented outage and its dismissal of the investigation citing how we cared for customers, which included millions of dollars in refunds, hotel, food and baggage assistance," Delta said in a statement.
The investigation ended in November, according to Politico, which initially reported the story.