The conflict centers around remarks made by Delta CEO Ed Bastian, who last week attributed the global technology outage to a faulty upgrade from CrowdStrike on machines running Microsoft Windows
Microsoft and cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike are pushing back against Delta Air Lines’ accusations that their technology was responsible for a massive IT outage last month, which led to thousands of canceled flights. The dispute has escalated into a public clash between the tech giants and the Atlanta-based airline.
In a letter to Delta’s attorney David Boies, Microsoft’s lawyer Mark Cheffo refuted the airline’s claims, asserting that the issues were likely related to systems serviced by other technology providers, not Microsoft Windows. “Your letter and Delta’s public comments are incomplete, false, misleading, and damaging to Microsoft and its reputation,” Cheffo wrote, adding that Microsoft was investigating why other airlines managed to restore operations much faster than Delta.
The conflict centers around remarks made by Delta CEO Ed Bastian, who last week attributed the global technology outage to a faulty upgrade from CrowdStrike on machines running Microsoft Windows. Bastian estimated that the incident cost the airline $500 million and hinted at potential legal action.
Delta, in response, highlighted its long history of investing in reliable service, including billions of dollars in IT capital expenditures since 2016 and additional billions in annual IT costs. However, the airline declined to comment further on the matter.
CrowdStrike has also rejected Delta’s claims, aligning with Microsoft in disputing the airline’s version of events. Both companies noted that Delta had declined their offers to assist in recovering from the outage. Microsoft’s lawyer mentioned that CEO Satya Nadella personally reached out to Bastian during the crisis, but the Delta CEO did not respond.
The disagreement between Delta and its technology providers underscores the complexities of managing IT infrastructure in the aviation industry, where even minor issues can lead to significant operational disruptions. As the situation develops, the tech companies and Delta continue to stand by their positions, each asserting their efforts to mitigate the impact of the outage.
