Delta sues CrowdStrike over summer tech outage that led to thousands of cancellations

Luggage covers the floor of baggage claim at Atlanta's Hartfield-Jackson Airport as Delta employees try to reunite passengers with their belongings.
Delta employees at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport work to reunite travelers with their luggage on Tuesday, July 23, 2024 as the airline struggled to catch up after a global tech outage. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

Delta Air Lines is suing the cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike over a global tech outage in July that led several major carriers to cancel thousands of flights, but none more so than Delta.

CrowdStrike says Delta is trying to shift the blame for its failure to modernize the airline’s IT systems.

According to a company spokesperson, CrowdStrike filed for a declaratory judgment in response to Delta’s suit, meaning that CrowdStrike has asked the court to resolve a legal disagreement between the two parties and define their legal relationship and rights, without ordering enforcement.