Top Delta Executive Resigns Amid Criticism of Airline’s Tech Outage Response

Delta Air Lines announced on Friday the impending departure of Chief Operating Officer Michael Spanos, effective at the end of August. Spanos, who has held the position for just over a year, plans to pursue another job opportunity.

This decision comes on the heels of a significant operational disruption, where Delta canceled thousands of flights following a technology outage attributed to issues with a software upgrade. The outage primarily impacted Delta, forcing the airline to cancel approximately 7,000 flights over five days.

Before joining Delta in June 2023, Spanos had a distinguished career at PepsiCo and led Six Flags Entertainment as CEO. As one of three executive vice presidents, he played a pivotal role during his tenure at the airline.

In Delta’s regulatory filing, no specific reason was provided for Spanos’ departure, though the company confirmed he will receive standard severance benefits. His compensation for the previous year was valued at $8.6 million, largely derived from stock awards.

CEO Ed Bastian informed employees that Spanos had communicated his intentions to leave “earlier this summer.” Notably, this conversation occurred prior to the recent technological crisis.

Spanos will transition to a different company, although details remain undisclosed. In a message to staff, Bastian emphasized Spanos’ contributions to enhancing Delta’s performance, while noting that the airline will not appoint a new COO following his departure.

Typically, chief operating officers oversee day-to-day operations and report directly to the CEO. At Delta, however, President Glen Hauenstein often assumes this operational leadership role.

Following the technology troubles, the U.S. Transportation Department has launched an investigation into the incident. Delta is also pursuing $500 million in damages from CrowdStrike and Microsoft over the outage, which the tech firms contest, stating Delta did not accept their assistance and misrepresented the circumstances.