The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has closed its investigation into Delta Air Lines’ operational meltdown following the global CrowdStrike outage in July 2024, opting not to impose any penalties on the carrier. Reuters reported that the disruption affected around 1.3 million passengers and cost Delta an estimated US$500 million.
The investigation was launched under the Biden administration after Delta took longer than other major airlines to recover from the technology failure, which caused widespread flight cancellations and delays across the industry. Federal regulators examined whether the airline had adequately supported affected passengers during the disruption.
After reviewing Delta’s response, the department said the airline had provided prompt refunds, sufficient baggage assistance and appropriate support for passengers with disabilities. As part of its decision to close the investigation, the USDOT instructed Delta to continue providing timely information to customers about their right to seek refunds.
Delta welcomed the decision, saying regulators had recognised the extraordinary circumstances created by the outage and the steps the airline took to assist customers, including spending millions of dollars on refunds, hotel accommodation, meals and baggage support.
The decision also reflects a broader shift in aviation oversight under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has rolled back several consumer protection initiatives introduced during Joe Biden’s presidency and reversed several airline penalties.
In recent months, the department waived a US$11 million fine tied to Southwest Airlines’ 2022 holiday travel meltdown and cancelled US$16.7 million in penalties issued to American Airlines over its treatment of disabled passengers and wheelchairs.
The Federal Aviation Administration has also eased enforcement, recently closing an investigation into airlines that failed to comply with required flight reductions during the 2025 government shutdown without issuing fines.
