국제문제/북미

(미국) 정전 때문에 델타 항공사의 항공기 300편 더 운항 취소

밝은하늘孤舟獨釣 2016. 8. 10. 11:36

출처: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37026007


Delta cancels 300 more flights after power cut 정전으로 인해 델타 항공사의 항공기 300편 더 운항 취소


Passengers line up at check-in counter for Delta Air Lines at Narita international airport in Narita, east of Tokyo (09 August 2016)

Image copyrightAP
Image captionMore than 1,000 people spent Monday night at Narita airport outside Tokyo

US airline Delta has cancelled at least 300 more flights after a power cut on Monday that resulted in the cancellation of 1,000 flights and delays for about 2,800 more.

The company has not yet given details about the financial damage.

But correspondents say it is likely to amount to millions of dollars.

The meltdown exposes vulnerabilities in Delta's computer system, which is over-reliant on IT systems that date from the 1990s, correspondents say.

Although the airline was back online late on Monday, it was still dealing with the knock-on effects a day later.

A passenger talks on her cell phone with an agent as she stands in line at the Delta ticketing counter at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport (08 August 2016)Image copyrightAP
Image captionDelta's main challenge will be to find sufficient seats on planes during the busy summer holiday season
Passengers line up at check-in counter for Delta Air Lines at Narita international airport in Narita, east of Tokyo (09 August 2016)Image copyrightAP
Image captionThe Atlanta-based airliner says it will pay compensation to customers affected by significant delays or cancellations

Its main challenge will be to find sufficient seats on planes during the busy summer holiday season for tens of thousands of passengers whose flights were cancelled.

The flight tracking service FlightStats said there were nearly 600 delayed flights on Tuesday, with cancelled flights closer to 330.

More than 1,000 people spent Monday night at Narita airport outside Tokyo, with Delta spokeswoman Hiroko Okada warning that more delays were expected. There were similar scenes earlier in the day throughout the US.

"We were able to bring our systems back on line and resume flights within a few hours yesterday but we are still operating in recovery mode," a Delta statement said on Tuesday.

Delta offers refreshments as hundreds of passengers at Newark Liberty International Airport wait in line to check in for their flights (08 August 2016)Image copyrightAP
Image captionThe disruption was so severe on Monday that at one point Delta warned passengers that information provided by its employees, website and app may be out of date

The problems began when a switchgear, that helps to control and switch power flows in the same way as a circuit breaker does in people's homes, malfunctioned for reasons that were not immediately clear, experts say.

The Atlanta-based airliner says it will pay compensation to customers affected by significant delays or cancellations.

The meltdown raises questions over a recent wave of four US airline mergers that resulted in four large carriers controlling 85% of domestic capacity, The Wall Street Journal reported.

It says this has resulted in the creation of companies that are too large and too dependent on IT systems that date from the 1990s. Delta merged with Northwest Airlines eight years ago.

Computer systems used by the airlines control everything from flight dispatching, crew scheduling, passenger check-ins, airport departure information and ticket sales.

They are gradually being phased out and updated but remain vulnerable, IT experts quoted by the newspaper said.

The disruption was so severe on Monday that, at one point, Delta warned passengers that information provided by its employees, website and app may be out of date.

The overnight power failure took place in Atlanta, near Delta's headquarters, the company said, causing computer systems to crash.

Many travellers posted their unhappiness on social media, making #Delta a top trending topic.

The airline serves about 180 million customers a year, employing over 80,000 people, its website says.