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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Tuesday that his department had opened an investigation into Delta Air Lines after the tech outage last week disrupted flights worldwide, and the agency wanted to hear from travelers who said that the airline had not complied with passenger protection requirements. The aim of the investigation is to “ensure the airline is following the law and taking care of its passengers during continued widespread disruptions,” Buttigieg said. “All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly,” he added. The Transportation Department has consumer protection requirements that cover lost baggage, lengthy tarmac delays, compensation for being bumped from an overbooked flight and other protections. Passengers should try to resolve their travel issues directly with Delta, Buttigieg said, but the department wanted to hear from those who thought the airline “has not complied” with the protection requirements during the recent travel disruptions. His announcement included a link to a form for passengers to provide information about their concerns. Buttigieg’s statement did not specifically mention the reports of unaccompanied minors being stranded at airports, but the department said in an email that it was “seeking answers” about the situation and that it was “extremely concerned.” We “have made clear that we expect Delta to prioritize getting kids safely and swiftly to their destinations,” the emailed statement said. Delta barred children under 18 from traveling without a guardian as it struggled to recover from the global technology outage on Friday, which crippled Microsoft systems, hobbling train networks, disrupting hospitals and forcing airlines around the world to ground flights. The airline initially suspended travel for unaccompanied minors until Sunday, but then it extended the suspension through Tuesday. “Those already booked will not be able to travel,” Delta’s website said. “Please do not book new travel for unaccompanied minors during this time.”<br/>

Delta customers aren’t the only ones unhappy about the thousands of flights the carrier has canceled since Friday. Its pilots are, too. Darren Hartmann, chairman of the Air Line Pilots Association at Delta, blasted the situation in a letter to members of the union on Tuesday, lamenting the “inability to contact the company in any capacity and the feeling that we have been abandoned in the system” during the disruptions. The US Transportation Department launched an investigation of Delta’s treatment of passengers during its recovery from a technology glitch last week that forced the carrier to cancel more than 5,000 flights, with more disruptions possible this week. Pilots and crews have been particularly affected as the airline works to fully recover a flight management system that links those personnel to aircraft across the airline’s system. “I share your frustration in seeing passengers stranded while we, as crew members, experience the same unacceptable obstacles we face during every” disruption of the airline’s normal operations, Hartmann said in the letter. The union represents about 15,000 Delta pilots. Delta is doubling normal pay for pilots who pick up extra trips through Friday, and using some aviators to operate the flights they’re booked on to get to their next assignments if they are qualified and rested, Hartmann said in the letter. The union stressed that pilots “above all else” should make sure they get adequate rest.<br/>