Delta Airlines to seek compensation for lost revenue due to power outage at Hartfield-Jackson International Airport
20 Dec 2017
Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian said he found it ''shocking'' that it took nearly 12 hours to restore power at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport - and would seek compensation for the airline's lost revenue.
''We will certainly be seeking the opportunity to have a conversation, and then seek reimbursement,'' Bastian said during an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at a Delta 747 farewell event last evening www.ajc.com reported. ''I don't know whose responsibility it is between the airport and Georgia Power, but we're going to have conversations with both of them.''
He said, the airline may have lost $25 million to $50 million of revenue due to the power outage that hit the world's busiest airport on Sunday. It does not include additional costs incurred by Delta, which cancelled 1,400 flights and is reimbursing passengers for Sunday night hotel stays.
''We have a lot of people at the start of the business week that didn't take their trips'' because of the outage, Bastian said.
Meanwhile, according to aviation experts, the 11-hour blackout would likely cost tens of millions of dollars or more for airlines, stranded travelers and others. The final tab would likely not be known for months to come they add.
That price tag is likely to balloon as officials assess the cause of the fire that led to power outage, and redesign the airport's power supply system to make it more resilient. The cost of the fixes as also who would pay for it is not exactly clear.
Tens of thousands of travelers had their plans disrupted and family events and business meetings were canceled. Many stranded passengers booked hotel rooms or rented cars, as companies in the field reaped a bonanza.
According to Mike Boyd, an aviation consultant at the Boyd Group International, the outage is likely to cost airlines at least $100 million in lost revenue and other expenses.
