Mass delays after Delta flights are grounded by 'system outage'

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Thousands of Delta Air Lines passengers around the world are facing delays after all of the company's departing flights were grounded over a system-wide computer failure.

Well after Delta flight 1 was due to depart from Heathrow airport on Monday morning, destination New York JFK, the airline’s website was promising an “On time” departure and an arrival four minutes ahead of schedule. But that departure, like all the others worldwide, had been suspended.

“Due to a computer outage, flights awaiting departure are currently delayed. Flights enroute are operating normally," the airline said.

Delta responded to passengers on Twitter, adding: “Our systems are down everywhere. Hopefully it won't be much longer.”

Around six hours into the outage, limited flights resumed – but hundreds of flights were cancelled and others were delayed.

A power outage in Atlanta – where the airline has its headquarters – was the cause of the problem, forcing the company to announce that "large-scale cancellations" were expected.

The failure of the airline’s computer systems has only a minor effect on aircraft already in flight – disabling routine messages to and from the flight deck, without affecting safety. But prior to departure, vast amounts of data are exchanged between Delta’s hub in Atlanta and its teams at individual airports around the world. For example, aircraft flying to the US are not allowed to depart until a full and complete passenger manifest has been supplied to the American authorities.

Delta is one of the three largest airlines in the world, and the problem hit at a key moment: the start of the working week, when the first wave of flights from Europe was due to depart to the US, along with evening departures from Asia.

The airline told passengers to “check the status of their flight before heading to the airport while the issue is being addressed”. Delta tweeted: "Our Team is working diligently to get it back up and running."

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At Heathrow Terminal 4, confusion and frustration increased with little information beyond the assertions at delta.com that flights 59 to Boston and 195 to Philadelphia were delayed by several hours – though flights later in the day were due to take off as normal.

One passenger, Amanda Jackson, told NBC News that she waited more than 90 minutes to check in for a flight to Seattle on her way to Alaska. She claimed there were long lines at Delta counters, along with “a lot of very frustrated people.”

Passengers on Twitter also reported problems – including the inability to check in or being stuck on the Tarmac – from airports around the world, including San Francisco, Las Vegas and Athens.

As well as potential refunds, Delta has published a waiver for those travelling on Monday, allowing for changes to be booked without a fee. Affected travellers may be able to claim compensation under EU passengers’ rights rules if they arrive at their destination three hours or more behind schedule – depending on whether the outage is regarded as an “extraordinary circumstance”. All passengers are entitled to meals, and if necessary accommodation, until they can be flown to their destination.