Microsoft and CrowdStrike denied responsibility for Delta Air Line's July comprehensive system outage, claiming Delta refused their offers of assistance. Microsoft stated Delta's affected systems did not use its products, suggesting a lack of IT modernization compared to competitors.
Delta Air Lines experienced a massive operational meltdown in July associated with a faulty software update by CrowdStrike, distributed to Microsoft clients, that caused global IT outages in July.
While other major U.S. airlines resumed operations a day after the incident, Delta continued to experience prolonged disruptions, affecting hundreds of thousands of customers and prompting a U.S. Department of Transportation investigation.
Over 5,000 Delta flights were canceled and more delayed, costing Delta around $500 million.
Microsoft criticized Delta for overstating its role in the tech outage, accusing the airline of deflecting blame and spreading false information to avoid accountability. Microsoft said it offered to help Delta for free after the outage, but its assistance was declined multiple times.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian accused Microsoft and CrowdStrike of failing to comply with contractual requirements and negligent behavior in connection with the faulty update, stating Delta has no choice but to seek damages.
According to Microsoft, Delta's delayed recovery was due to an internal system failure impacting flight and crew scheduling.
Delta's CEO claimed the incident cost the airline around $500 million in losses and extra costs, while CrowdStrike claims less than $10 million in liability.
The company has hired litigator David Boies to pursue legal action against CrowdStrike.
Delta claims to have invested billions in IT since 2016 and spends billions yearly on IT, emphasizing commitment to safety and reliability.
Microsoft and CrowdStrike state they offered assistance to Delta during the outage, but Delta declined, with Microsoft executives allegedly reaching out from July 19 to 24. Delta, however, dismisses these claims as only "free consulting advice."
Microsoft and CrowdStrike want Delta to preserve documents related to the outage.
Sources: One Mile at a Time, CNBC, Skift, ABC News, NY Post, SCMP, The Verge, Benzinga, iTechpost, Headtopics, Daily Mail, New York Times
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
