Microsoft is teaming up with cybersecurity software company CrowdStrike to fight Delta Air Lines, which blames the companies for several thousand canceled flights following a technology outage last month.
A Microsoft lawyer said Tuesday that Delta’s most important IT system is likely maintained by other technology companies, not Microsoft Windows.
“Your letter and Delta’s public comments are incomplete, false, misleading and damaging to Microsoft and its reputation,” Microsoft attorney Mark Cheffo said in a letter to Delta attorney David Boies.
Cheffo said Microsoft is trying to understand “why other airlines have been able to fully restore their operations so much faster than Delta.”
The comments reflect an escalating battle between the technology companies and the Atlanta-based airline.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian said last week that the global technology outage, which began with a faulty CrowdStrike upgrade on machines running Microsoft Windows, cost the airline $500 million. Bastian threatened legal action.
On Tuesday, Delta said it has a long history of investing in reliable service, including “billions of dollars in IT investments” since 2016 and billions more in annual IT costs. The company declined further comment.
CrowdStrike has also denied Delta’s claims. Both CrowdStrike and Microsoft said Delta declined their offers to help the airline recover from last month’s outage. Microsoft’s lawyer said CEO Satya Nadella emailed Bastian during the outage, but the Delta CEO never responded.
