Delta is flying again after a massive computer outage shut down the airline
Delta Air Lines has resumed flight operations following a massive computer outage that crippled the airline for more than six hours on Monday.
According to Delta, a "major system-wide network outage" on Monday had delayed flights worldwide.
The widespread computer problem was caused by a power outage at its headquarters in Atlanta, the airline said in a statement.
The outage meant flights worldwide were being delayed and airport screens and Delta's website were not showing updated flight status information.
"A power outage in Atlanta, which began at 2:38 a.m. ET (6:38 a.m. GMT), has impacted Delta computer systems and operations worldwide, resulting in flight delays and cancellations today," Delta said.
Flights scheduled for departure were not taking off, but those already in the air were operating normally, Delta said in a statement.
Delta operates 5,000 departures a day and is a member of the SkyTeam alliance alongside airlines including Air France-KLM.
It also partners for transatlantic flights with Virgin Atlantic, which said its flights were operating normally but cautioned that passengers should check tickets in case their flight was due to be operated by Delta as part of a code-share agreement.
"Delta experienced a computer outage that has impacted flights scheduled for this morning," said Delta, the world's second-largest airline measured by revenue passenger kilometers flown.
The outage was affecting flights globally, a London-based spokeswoman for the airline said.
Passengers stuck in check-in lines in airports across the world, or aboard planes waiting to depart, shared photos and frustration at the delays on Twitter.
"1 hr.+ lines @HeathrowAirport for @Delta due to system outage," user @MITJAKE tweeted with a picture of passengers waiting to check in.
The glitch follows several high-profile computer problems faced by US airlines in recent months.
The budget carrier Southwest Airlines Co. last month had to halt departures after a technical outage, while American Airlines had to suspend flights from three of its hubs in September after technical problems.
Industry consultants say airlines face an increasing risk from computer disruptions as they automate more of their operations, distribute boarding passes on smartphones, and outfit their planes with Wi-Fi.
(Reporting by Abinaya Vijayaraghavan in Bengaluru and Victoria Bryan in Berlin; additional reporting by Sarah Young in London; editing by Gopakumar Warrier and Jason Neely)