Department of Transportation opens investigation into Delta over flight disruptions
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Department of Transportation has opened an investigation into Delta Airlines over recent flight disruptions, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Tuesday in a post on X.
“All airline passengers have the right to be treated fairly, and I will make sure that right is upheld,” Buttigieg said.
The airline is struggling to resume normal service five days after a global IT outage at cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. Delta canceled more than 400 flights on Tuesday morning, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. The airline with the second-most cancellations on Tuesday has nixed only 55 flights, FlightAware says.
The outage at CrowdStrike on Friday hindered services at airlines and hospitals in the U.S., banks in Europe and a media company in Canada.
Thousands of flights were cancelled across a host of airlines on Friday, but many companies have limited disruptions over the days since.
Buttigieg requested that Delta passengers share information with the Department of Transportation.
“While you should first try to resolve issues directly with the airline, we want to hear from passengers who believe that Delta has not complied with USDOT-enforced passenger protection requirements during the recent travel disruptions,” Buttigieg said.
(NEW YORK) — Wallace “Wally” Amos Jr., the founder of Famous Amos cookies, has died, his family said Wednesday. He was 88.
He died “peacefully” at home following a battle with dementia, his family said.
Amos, a native of Tallahassee, Florida, opened the first Famous Amos cookie shop in Hollywood, California on the famed Sunset Blvd. in 1975. Amos’ cookie brand exploded in popularity over the years, becoming known for its signature beige packaging and blue lettering.
“With his Panama hat, kazoo, and boundless optimism, Famous Amos was a great American success story, and a source of Black pride,” read a statement from the Amos family.
The statement continued, “It’s also a part of our family story for which we will forever be grateful and proud. Our dad taught as the value of hard work, believing in ourselves, and chasing our dreams. He was a true original Black American hero.”
The statement also asked for contributions to Alzheimer’s Association.
“We also know he would love it if you had a chocolate chip cookie today,” the statement finished.
Amos was recognized as the Horatio Alger Award recipient in 1987, an award who recognizes Americans who are “contemporary role models whose experiences exemplify that opportunities for a successful life are available to all individuals who are dedicated to the principles of integrity, hard work, perseverance and compassion for others.”
Amos’ membership page on the award’s website details a career as a music agent prior to Famous Amos. The founder also authored several books including The Famous Amos Story: The Face That Launched a Thousand Chips, The Cookie Never Crumbles: Practical Recipes for Everyday Living and The Man with No Name: Turn Lemons into Lemonade.
(NEW YORK) — Delta Air Lines passengers are voicing outrage over the growing chaos with the carrier that has yet to rebound its operations since the global tech outage.
The Atlanta-based airline is in its sixth day of flight disruptions leaving ticketed passengers stranded at airports, following the CrowdStrike outage on Friday that impacted industries from banks to hospitals.
“This is our fourth cancellation,” one frustrated traveler, Sarah Lassig, told ABC News Bay Area station KGO-TV.
“I just wish we had given up and stayed home,” her husband, Nathan Lassig, added.
As of time of publication, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Delta has canceled more than 6,000 flights since Friday’s IT issues began. The airline is now the subject of a federal investigation.
“We estimate that more than half a million passengers have been impacted by this,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a press briefing. “There is something unique to Delta, that requires specific attention … we want to understand how this could have happened.”
In a company memo, Delta said they’re seeing day over day progress and that “teams are working around the clock to reposition planes and people to where they need to be so we can return to normal operations by the end of the week.”
Rachelle Akuffo told ABC News that Delta canceled her and her daughter’s flight to London and the airline rebooked them with a layover of more than 340 hours.
“The math is not mathing, like in what world would I have a two-week layover?” she questioned.
There have also been reports of unaccompanied minors who have been stranded as a result of the tech meltdown that forced Delta to suspend its program for unaccompanied minors, leaving parents frustrated and concerned.
JR Reed told ABC News Atlanta station WSB-TV that he was scrambling to get his three children home after visiting relatives across the country.
“They have kids on connecting flights every day all the time,” Reed said. “It appears that they don’t want to dedicate the agents to go handle it. And I don’t think they thought through. What about all the kids that were halfway through their trips?”
According to FlightAware, at least 10,672 flights have been canceled and 54,420 flights have been delayed since Friday, as of Wednesday morning.
(NEW YORKI) — Lamborghini has sold adrenaline-inducing speed and spaceship-like designs for decades, to much success.
The brand’s executives are blunt, however, when it comes to their cramped cabins: “We’re not very famous for the interior.”
That’s about to change. The Italian marque’s latest sports car, the Temerario, was designed, it seems, with one type of customer in mind: lanky drivers.
“We increased the roominess in the car … tall people can sit comfortably,” Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann told ABC News.
The Temerario, a plug-in hybrid that debuted in August, lives up to previous models: 10,000-rpm redline; top speed of 210 mph; 907 horsepower produced from the all-new twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 powertrain; and an 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Yet it’s the added comfort that executives were eager to discuss.
Winkelmann said his team put a lot of emphasis and attention on storage space and headroom in the Temerario, partly to appease owners in the United States, the brand’s No. 1 market. The Temerario is being billed as more of a “weekend car,” with enough real estate to squeeze luggage behind the two front seats — unheard for the brand.
The storied carmaker is in the process of electrifying its lineup. In addition to the Temerario, Lamborghini showed off the Urus SE in April. The company’s first hybrid, the beastly 1,001 hp Reveulto (three electric motors assist the naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine), has a nearly three-year wait list. The flagship supercar went on sale last year.
“This is the best lineup we have,” Winkelmann said.
The Lamborghini exec spoke to ABC News about the company’s electrification strategy, industry challenges and what could put the brakes on the company’s upward sales trajectory.
The interview below has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Q: What’s been the early reaction by customers and enthusiasts to the Temerario, Lamborghini’s new hybrid sports car and successor to the Huracan?
A: It’s been very positive. We will see in the next weeks, months what the order collection is like. And I will be surprised if it’s negative.
Q: You made a point to underscore how comfortable this car is inside versus previous models as well as the added room for luggage. Is the company responding to customer feedback?
A: Everybody now wants everything. They want design, they want speed, they want a luggage compartment, they want space in the interior. We worked over the years on finding a way to create space without jeopardizing the design and the height of the car.
People are getting taller, especially in North America. We have a lot of tall, male customers. We worked on the performance of the car, the design and roominess, the handling. In a supercar, performance is more important than comfort. And design is more important than the luggage compartment. But now you have to try to get at least best in class in this type of segment so you work on everything.
Q: Could the Temerario have been built with a V10 engine?
A: We wanted to create something that sets apart the V12. The choice of the V8 … was something unique in our world — it’s also a matter of C02 emissions. We all agreed this was the choice. There was no way to continue with the V10.
Q: What will you miss most about the Huracan?
A: I was part of the team when we started to develop the car. These are memories I will never forget. The “baby Lamborghini” was a very important car for us and we really exploited what was possible to do.
The variant I love the most is the Sterrato. I wanted to do the Sterrato almost 10 years ago. Then I was away for some years [from the company] and I came back at the end of 2020. And they still hadn’t done the car. So I said, “We will do it.” And I think we did the right choice because it’s unique, and I really like it. It’s a lifestyle car but it’s also really fun to drive.
Q: Is there really a two-year wait for the Revuelto?
A: Even more. Two-and-a-half years at least in the U.S.
Q: You recently debuted the Urus SE, a hybrid SUV. What has reaction been like to this model?
A: We presented it in Beijing [in April]. The car is not on the road yet. The order bank is incredible and we’re happy.
Q: The first six months of 2024 show record results in terms of deliveries, revenues and operating income. What are you expecting for the second half of the year?
A: Things are going the right way. We don’t know who is going to be the next president of the U.S. … but we think it can be another very good year for Lamborghini if it goes like the first six months.
Q: Do U.S. presidents impact Lamborghini sales?
A: So far no. Kamala Harris, though, is an unknown variable.
Q: Have the recent stock market gyrations and recession chatter impacted the company?
A: Nobody knows the future. We look at the order bank and residual values. We look at the showroom traffic, the hesitation of people who may cancel orders. We go down to each and every dealer to see how they’re doing.
Q: The Revuelto is not your traditional plug-in hybrid — the electric motor is really there to add horsepower and boost performance. Will we see a true hybrid from Lamborghini — one that posts better fuel economy and record stats?
A: The mileage of the Temerario and Revuelto is, for sure, not the highest, but you have mileage in purely electric mode. The Urus has a much higher mileage of electric — 60 kilometers, so around 40 miles.
Q: Everyone loved the Lanzador concept last year. Is that still coming in 2028? Or will it be sooner?
A: Not sooner.
Q: When will we see a fully electric Lamborghini, if ever?
A: We are planning for the end of this decade. We stick to our plans.
Q: Are you surprised that enthusiasts are clinging to their V12s and V10s?
A: No, because we forecasted this. We said it’s far too early for supercars to go fully electric. But for the daily useable cars, in my opinion, this is a good opportunity.
Q: What is the biggest obstacle facing all automakers now?
A: I would say electrification is the biggest challenge globally. The other is the software development … cars are more and more connected. These are the two major challenges for the industry. For other brands, challenges are the cost of developing [electric] cars and the pricing of these cars. Then it has to be a fair competition around the globe, which is sometimes not the case.
Q: I appreciate that there are still buttons in Lamborghinis. Will that change over time?
A: A touchscreen is nice, but we also want to have the haptic [feel] and click of the buttons. Voice control will increase in cars, but to me, buttons are more luxurious than a touchscreen. We believe in buttons.