A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Delta Air Lines must face a class action lawsuit regarding thousands of flight delays and cancellations that occurred in July 2024 due to computer outages.
U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen approved five plaintiffs to move forward with breach of contract claims, accusing Delta of failing to provide proper refunds. The lawsuit stems from more than 4,500 flights canceled between July 19 and 21 last year, impacting countless passengers.
Delta attributed the disruption to system outages involving cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike and Microsoft. However, plaintiffs claim that CrowdStrike offered assistance promptly—within hours of the incident—including a personal outreach from its CEO to Delta’s CEO, but Delta allegedly declined or ignored these offers, according to legal filings.
One affected passenger, John Brennan from Florida, reported missing a $10,000 anniversary cruise after being stranded in an Atlanta layover. Delta’s compensation offer was only $219.45, Reuters reported.
Delta sought to dismiss the lawsuit citing the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, which limits government intervention in airline operations. Judge Cohen granted dismissal for four plaintiffs under this act but allowed five others to proceed under the Montreal Convention, an international treaty that governs airline liability for passenger injury, death, and baggage damage.
The case now moves forward, highlighting ongoing legal challenges faced by airlines amid operational disruptions.
