Microsoft disputes responsibility for Delta Air Lines' operational failure

Satya Nadella and Microsoft's legal team assert that the root cause of the meltdown was related to IBM’s systems rather than Microsoft's technology. This assertion counters widespread beliefs that Delta’s reliance on Microsoft was a contributing factor.

In response to ongoing criticisms from Delta blaming CrowdStrike and Microsoft for the incident, Microsoft's lawyers described these claims as “incomplete, false, misleading, and damaging.”

A review suggested that unlike its competitors, Delta may have failed to modernize its IT infrastructure adequately. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom highlighted his company's quick recovery post-CrowdStrike outage during an employee Q&A session following their second-quarter earnings call.

Meanwhile, it was noted that both Delta CEO Ed Bastian and United CEO Scott Kirby left the country during this period. In contrast, Isom implied his involvement in overseeing recovery efforts at American Airlines contributed positively.

Delta faces challenges in recovering damages from CrowdStrike due to contractual caps on liabilities and requirements for proving gross negligence or contributory negligence on their part. While some recovery is expected through settlements, details are unlikely to be disclosed publicly as Delta aims to maintain a narrative absolving itself of blame.