Delta Air Lines Inc.’s efforts to restore normal service Wednesday stumbled as cancellations that snarled the carrier for two days left flight crews out of position, adding to travel disruption. The Atlanta-based airline said 255 flights were canceled Wednesday after an earlier projection only about 90 services would need to be scratched. Normal operations after the disruptions from Monday’s computer system failure now are expected to be restored in the afternoon, the No. 2 U.S. carrier by traffic, rather than midday. ...
Delta is the latest US carrier to be hit by major disruptions resulting from IT issues, raising questions over whether the recent wave of US airline mergers, which has led to the creation of four large carriers controlling 85% of US domestic capacity, has created organisations that are too large and overly reliant on IT systems that date back to the 1990s. Airline Passenger Experience Association's Joe Leader warns that "we have become so reliant on the technology that people have genuinely forgotten how to go to manual mode.” Delta Air Lines was forced to ground 1,700 flights earlier in the week and is battling with ongoing cancellations.