The United Airlines terminal on July 19, 2024, when a global technology outage affected LAX airport in Los Angeles.
Myung J. Chun | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Flight cancellations and delays continued Saturday as airlines worked to recover from a global IT outage that caused chaos at airports and other industries a day earlier.
More than 2,800 flights were cancelled on Saturday, including more than 2,100 in the United States, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. More than 8,600 U.S. flights were delayed.
More than 5,000 flights were cancelled worldwide on Friday, including some 3,400 in the United States. Nearly 13,000 American flights were delayed.
The disruptions at F were similar to severe weather conditions such as a winter or tropical storm, but airlines had no time to prepare for the outage, leaving them scrambling to accommodate customers ahead of a summer weekend.
A CrowdStrike software update gone wrong caused a major disruption to Microsoft systems for businesses around the world.
Delta Air Lines cancelled about 36% of its flights on Saturday, compared with 32% the day before. Airlines waived fare differences and fees for affected customers.
American Airlines cancelled just 44 flights on Saturday, or 1% of its core business, down from 11% the day before, the fastest recovery of any major U.S. carrier.
“Our customers are at the center of everything we do and we appreciate their patience as our team worked together around the clock to return to normal operations just one day after the global disruption,” American said in a statement.
About 15% of United's mainline flights were canceled on Saturday, down from 22% on Friday, according to FlightAware data.
“Most of our technology systems have been restored and our reliability is improving, although we will continue to see cancellations and delays this weekend,” United said.
The amount that will be refunded to customers whose flights are affected by additional expenses, such as meals or hotels, depends on the specific airline policy.
But customers are entitled to a refund for a cancelled flight if they do not choose to travel on an alternative flight or accept a voucher.
“I'm hearing that some airlines are only offering flight credits to passengers who cancel flights,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a social media post Saturday. “I want to be clear: You have the right to get your money back quickly if your flight is canceled and you do not rebook.”
— CNBC's Rebecca Picciotto contributed to this report.
