As children we
are raised with a mantra – learn from the mistakes we make and learn from
the mistakes of others.
Perhaps Delta Air Lines needs to be reminded of that lesson.
We had a major worldwide technology outage
last week that affected a variety of industries, including the
airlines. The outage, of course, was not the fault of Delta but it sure bore
the brunt of the impact.
While other airlines recovered from the
disaster, thousands of Delta flights were canceled. The carrier had problems
moving crew members into the proper places. It wasn’t pretty.
Now, to be clear, I have the utmost
respect and admiration for Delta CEO Ed Bastian. He is known as a man of vision and foresight. He correctly predicted the pilot shortage years before it happened, and other airlines were caught unaware.
I’m sure that things will be
back to normal operations with Delta in short order. But maybe this is the time
to have a contingency plan. A fail safe. A just-in-case. Maybe such
a plan will never be used, but it’s good to know that it’s there.
Frankly, the delays and cancelations were a shock that many expected from another airline, but not Delta. The volume of
passengers that Delta moves every day is certainly a factor but the airline has to be
better prepared.
Delta understands its place in the
American economy. It is a tremendous contributor. Neither the airline nor the
country can afford a repeat of a near-shutdown like just happened. Maybe that’s
too much of a burden to put on one company, but it is what it is. At a time
when many corporations are forced to throw in the towel – I defy you to eat at
a Cracker Barrel in the coming months – Delta is a cornerstone. A pillar, if you
will.
It needs a better backup plan to keep the country on track.
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