Delta Air Lines grounds flights as computer systems ‘down everywhere’

A worldwide system failure that lasted for several hours was reported by Delta Air Lines. Social media users posted photos showing long lines of passengers waiting to check-in at airports.

The widespread disruptions began at around 2:30 a.m. ET on Monday, after a power outage hit Atlanta, Georgia, where the carrier’s headquarters is based. Flights which were already in the air continued to operate normally, but those which had yet to take off were either delayed or canceled.

“Delta has experienced a computer outage that has affected flights scheduled for this morning. Flights awaiting departure are currently delayed. Flights en route are operating normally. Delta is advising travelers to check the status of their flights this morning while the issue is being addressed,” the airline said in a statement.

According to Twitter accounts, passengers got stuck at Heathrow Airport in London, Málaga Airport in Spain, Keflavík International Airport in Reykjavík, Iceland, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and Rome Ciampino Airport.

Delays were also reported at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport San Francisco International Airport, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in Florida and NYC LaGuardia Airport.

“We're currently experiencing system issues and working to resolve it asap,” Delta told a passenger on Twitter.

The airline had to temporarily ground flights scheduled to leave Monday.

"Customers heading to the airport should expect delays and cancellations," Delta said in a statement. "While inquiries are high and wait times are long, our customer service agents are doing everything they can to assist."

By 8:40 a.m., the airline said that its systems were back online, but warned that disruptions would still be ongoing.

"Customers heading to the airport should expect delays and cancellations," Delta said in a statement. "While inquiries are high and wait times are long, our customer service agents are doing everything they can to assist."

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US airline carriers have experienced a series of technical disruption over the past year, including one at American Airlines which halted flights to three of its largest hubs in September, and a reservations system glitch at Southwest Airlines in October. Southwest experienced a computer failure again last month, which prompted the cancellations of more than 2,000 flights.

Delta Air Lines is the second-largest airline in the world in terms of revenue, topped only by American Airlines.

A Delta flight in Atlanta that had been delayed for five hours with passengers on board was reportedly deplaned due to a medical emergency. No crew was on the plane to attend to passengers.