Microsoft and CrowdStrike hit back at Delta’s legal threats

Microsoft and CrowdStrike have defended themselves against accusations by Delta, claiming that the US airline rejected their offers of help and was responsible for the software outage on 19 July that led to the cancellation of thousands of flights, including those carrying American athletes to the Paris Olympics.

In response to Delta CEO Ed Bastian’s claims and the threat of legal action, Microsoft’s representatives stated that Delta had misrepresented the facts of the incident. They emphasized that Microsoft had offered assistance to Delta at no charge immediately after the outage, but Delta consistently turned down their offers.

Microsoft’s lawyer, Mark Cheffo, also pointed out that Delta’s IT infrastructure, particularly its crew-tracking and scheduling systems, was not supported by Microsoft and Azure, which may have contributed to the prolonged outage compared to other airlines.