Microsoft says Delta’s old tech hindered IT outage recovery

Microsoft has claimed that Delta Air Lines’ outdated technology infrastructure is the main reason the airline struggled to recover from an IT outage in July, unlike its competitors who bounced back quickly.

The global outage on Microsoft systems was caused by a faulty security update from its cybersecurity partner, CrowdStrike. This led to Delta canceling over 5,000 flights in five days, much more than its rivals.

Delta argued that their reliance on Microsoft and CrowdStrike forced them to manually reset 40,000 servers and that the issue cost them about $500 million. Its CEO, Ed Bastian, mentioned they would seek legal action against both companies to recover these losses.

Microsoft’s lawyer stated that Delta’s comments about the situation are “incomplete, false, misleading, and damaging” to the company’s reputation. He also said that Delta hasn’t modernized its IT systems as effectively as other airlines, despite the airline claiming significant technology investments over the years.

Both Microsoft and CrowdStrike have requested that Delta preserve all documents related to the outage and their technology systems for future investigations.