Updated at 13.35
DELTA AIR LINES has said to expect widespread delays and cancellations to flights following a “major system-wide network outage” which has grounded planes around the world.
The airline announced this afternoon that the ground stop had been lifted and limited departures were resuming following a power outage in Atlanta, which began at 2.30am local time (7.30 Irish time), and had impacted the Delta computer systems.
The airline said earlier that systems had been down “everywhere” as a result of the outage.
“Large-scale cancellations are expected today,” the airline said.
As of about 2pm, the airline said it had cancelled about 300 flights. It operates more than 15,000 a day along with its alliance partners.
Nearly 400 others were delayed, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.
“The timing of this problem is particularly bad because Monday morning is one of the busiest times for both airlines and travelers as business travelers begin their work week,” said Daniel Baker, FlightAware’s CEO.
A spokesperson for Dublin Airport said that two Delta Air Lines flights had been delayed from departing the airport.
Both the 10.10am flight to Atlanta and the 11.45am flight to New York were due to depart at 1pm, but have yet to leave.
A passenger inside the airport said that the Atlanta flight has just begun to board at about 1.30pm this afternoon.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, passenger Kevin Bates, due to fly on the 11.45am to New York, said that passengers had yet to board the plane.
“We won’t leave at 1pm but [Delta staff] hope to board in 30 minutes or so but we may be in Dublin for a while,” he said.
Bates said that staff had recently announced that the mainframe was back up and running in Atlanta and that systems were coming back online.
He said that the “staff have been great and are continually apologising and the pilot came to talk to people”.
Bates also said that the staff appeared not to know what exactly was happening with the problem, and that an announcer said they were getting their information from the BBC and CNN.
Another passenger tweeting from the airport confirmed that staff were not sure of the nature of the problem.
Tweeting from the airport, Austin-based creative engineer and activist Joshua McClure said that veteran staff had managed to login on an older, terminal-based system and were processing passengers that way.
“System-wide network outage”
The Atlanta-based airline flies to destinations all over the world. It said that it transports over 160 million travellers each year.
It tweeted this morning that systems were down “everywhere” and that hopefully the issue would be resolved soon.
“We are currently experiencing a major system-wide network outage,” the airline said.
Our Team is working diligently to get it back up and running.
On a statement on its website, Delta said that all flights awaiting departure were delayed.
“Flights awaiting departure are currently delayed. Flights enroute are operating normally,” it said.
It has urged travelers “to check the status of their flights this morning while the issue is being addressed”.
It has been responding to multiple customers’ complaints on Twitter this morning and afternoon.
The airline has apologised for the inconvenience.
With AFP
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