Delta Grounding Lifted, But Travel Chaos Not Over

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published August 08, 2016 | 09:10 PM

WASHINGTON, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th August, 2016) - Delta Airlines grounded all its flights worldwide Monday because of a computer breakdown, but lifted the order hours later while warning of cancellations and delays. The carrier blamed the computer problem on a power outage in its hub in Atlanta, Georgia. The halt left tens of thousands of passengers around the world stranded, as they crowded ticket counters and lay on the ground in airports. Flights will now resume on a limited basis, Delta said in a statement.

But the ripple effect of the snafu will drag on.

"Customers heading to the airport should expect delays and cancellations," the statement said. "While inquiries are high and wait times are long, our customer service agents are doing everything they can to assist," it added. Delta said the power outage that caused the computer meltdown began at 2:30 am (0630 GMT). Lines of passengers backed up at Delta ticket counters at US airports.

At Los Angeles, passengers on a flight to New York had to get off their plane and return to the terminal, NBC news reported, while some people slept near departure gates at Las Vegas.