Delta computer outages

A power outage on Aug. 8 at the Atlanta, Georgia, headquarters of Delta Air Lines forced the airline to cancel more than 2,000 domestic and international flights and delay thousands of others over the next week. Backup systems that were created to restore computer systems in the event of an outage failed. People holding tickets for canceled flights each were given a $200 voucher.

Computer failures also caused Southwest Airlines to cancel 2,000 flights in July, and United Airlines and American Airlines faced similar problems in 2015. Technology and travel advocates have warned that, unless airlines upgrade their systems, computer failures will become more common.