NAIROBI, Kenya- Delta Airlines and cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike are locked in a heated dispute following last month’s global network outage that left millions of travelers stranded.
Delta is pointing fingers, blaming CrowdStrike for the chaos that led to the cancellation of thousands of flights and significant financial losses.
As tensions rise, both companies are preparing for a potential legal showdown.
In a scathing letter sent on Thursday, Delta Airlines accused CrowdStrike of “negligence,” alleging that the cybersecurity firm’s actions directly led to the cancellation of around 7,000 flights and a financial hit of over $500 million.
Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, didn’t mince words, stating that the incident was “unacceptable” and emphasizing the severe impact on the airline’s customers and employees.
He further highlighted that 1.3 million Delta passengers were affected by the outages, leaving the airline scrambling to restore its services while other carriers returned to normal operations much sooner.
Delta’s accusations stem from a corrupted software update sent out by CrowdStrike on July 19, which triggered a global IT meltdown.
According to Microsoft, approximately 8.5 million Windows devices were disabled, causing widespread disruptions.
Although many airlines managed to recover quickly, Delta struggled for days, raising questions about the robustness of its IT infrastructure.
As the fallout continues, Delta has not hesitated to threaten legal action against both CrowdStrike and Microsoft, holding them accountable for the prolonged disruptions.
However, both companies have firmly denied responsibility. CrowdStrike, in particular, accused Delta of pushing a “misleading narrative,” while Microsoft suggested that Delta’s outdated IT infrastructure might have been a significant factor in the extended downtime.
In a strong rebuttal, Delta’s attorney, David Boies, argued that there was “no basis” to blame the airline for the faulty software that caused the crash.
Boies emphasized that Delta has invested billions in its technology and was hampered in restoring operations due to its reliance on both CrowdStrike and Microsoft.
CrowdStrike, meanwhile, remains defiant, stating that it would defend itself “aggressively” if Delta proceeds with legal action.
The company is already facing its own legal battles, with shareholders filing a lawsuit accusing CrowdStrike of making “false and misleading” statements about its software testing processes. The cybersecurity firm has denied these allegations as well.
Adding to Delta’s woes, the airline is now facing a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of passengers whose flights were canceled during the outage.
The lawsuit claims that Delta failed to adequately compensate passengers and even asked them to sign waivers releasing the airline from legal claims.
The legal action also pointed out that “no other US airline had canceled one-tenth as many flights,” further fueling the argument that Delta’s handling of the crisis was uniquely problematic.
As the legal and PR battles unfold, both Delta and CrowdStrike are under intense scrutiny. With the US Department of Transportation investigating Delta’s handling of the disruptions, the stakes are high for all parties involved.
