A Top Delta Executive Is Leaving Weeks After The Airline’s Slow Response To Tech Outage

Delta Air Lines announced Friday that its chief operating officer will depart the company next week after a little more than a year in the airline industry to pursue other opportunities.

Michael Spanos’ exit comes just a few weeks after they canceled thousands of flights during a bungled recovery from a global technological breakdown.

Before joining the airline in June 2023, Spanos spent the majority of his career with PepsiCo and the Pepsi Bottling Group. He was also the CEO of amusement park operator Six Flags Entertainment. He is one of three executive vice presidents at the Atlanta-based airline.

A Top Delta Executive Is Leaving Weeks After The Airline’s Slow Response To Tech Outage

Delta did not provide a reason for Spanos’ resignation in a regulatory filing, just stating that he would receive severance benefits under the company’s officer and director plan. Spanos received $8.6 million in remuneration last year, most of which came as stock awards.

CEO Ed Bastian stated in a memo to staff that Spanos informed him “earlier this summer” that he was considering quitting the airline. A spokesman stated that this occurred before the technical breakdown.

Bastian stated that Spanos will be moving to another company in September but did not specify which one. The CEO complimented Spanos on boosting Delta’s performance and stated that Delta would not appoint a new chief operating officer.

Chief operating officers often oversee a firm’s day-to-day operations and report directly to the CEO. They are frequently seen as the second-highest-ranking executive; however, at Delta, President Glen Hauenstein is widely regarded as fulfilling that role.

Delta was struck worse than any other US carrier by last month’s technology outage, which began with a failed upgrade from cybersecurity software firm CrowdStrike to Microsoft Windows-based systems.

A Top Delta Executive Is Leaving Weeks After The Airline’s Slow Response To Tech Outage

Other airlines recovered within a few days, but the airline cancelled approximately 7,000 flights over a five-day period as it battled to redeploy staff and match them with aircraft.

The US Transportation Department is investigating the incident, and Delta is suing CrowdStrike and Microsoft for $500 million in damages. The tech businesses claim the airline rejected assistance and made false assertions.

SOURCE | AP