Summary
- Delta reportedly ignored Microsoft’s offers of technical help during recent CrowdStrike outage.
- Microsoft CEO emailed Delta CEO personally, but got no response.
- The airline claims the system outage will cost around $500 million and could pursue legal action.
Delta Air Lines reportedly ignored repeated offers of free technical assistance from Microsoft during last month’s system outage. Apparently, Microsoft’s CEO personally reached out to Delta CEO Ed Bastian during the crisis but got no response.
Delta is blaming Microsoft and partner CrowdStrike for the thousands of subsequent flight cancelations that could cost the airline upwards of $500 million. In response, Microsoft pointed to Delta’s reliance on outdated technology systems, and the fact its crew scheduling system is provided by IBM – as the war of words between both sides heats up.
Microsoft says Delta ignored offer for help
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella personally wrote an email to
Delta Air Lines
CEO Ed Bastian on July 24th offering the company’s assistance, but heard nothing back. By then, Bastian was on his way to Paris to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympics, with Delta a major sponsor of the US Olympics Team.
Photo: The Global Guy | Shutterstock
According to Microsoft lawyer Mark Cheffo, on every day from July 19th through July 23rd, Microsoft offered its help but was turned down by Delta. This comes after Bastian stated last week that the outage could cost Delta around $500 million and that it was considering legal action, labeling Microsoft as “probably the most fragile platform.”
In a letter sent to Delta attorney David Boies, Cheffo said,
“Your letter and Delta’s public comments are incomplete, false, misleading, and damaging to Microsoft and its reputation. The truth is very different from the false picture you and Delta have sought to paint.”
Two days ago, CrowdStrike – the cybersecurity firm at the center of last month’s outage – also claimed that Delta had ignored its attempts to help, and its CEO, George Kurtz, received no reply after personally reaching out to Bastian.
Outdated IT infrastructure
Delta was notoriously slow in restoring its systems compared to other airlines – while other airlines had mostly returned to normality within a few days, Delta’s problems persisted for several days, leading to more flight cancelations than the entirety of 2019. Things were so bad that the airline is now facing an investigation by the US Department of Transportation (USDOT).
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
The main problem related to the airline’s crew scheduling system, preventing the carrier from effectively assigning crews to flights. It’s important to note that this system isn’t provided by Microsoft but by its rival, IBM. Cheffo’s letter explained,
“Even though Microsoft’s software had not caused the CrowdStrike incident, Microsoft immediately jumped in and offered to assist Delta at no charge.”

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Delta Air Lines Enlists High-Profile Lawyer Against CrowdStrike
The airline is said to have suffered losses ranging from $350-500 million.
Cheffo stated that Microsoft is investigating “why other airlines were able to fully restore business operations so much faster than Delta.” He pointed to the fact that Delta has “apparently not modernized its IT infrastructure” to the level of other US airlines, which contributed to its woes. In response, Delta cited billions of dollars of investment in its IT infrastructure since 2016 on top of the “billions spent annually in IT operating costs.”