Air France KLM suffers €10 million loss due to global tech outage

A software update by CrowdStrike caused widespread service interruptions.

The outage cost Air France KLM around €10 million, said CFO Steven Zaat.

A recent outage has cost Air France KLM around €10 million, according to Chief Financial Officer Steven Zaat. The disruption primarily affected KLM and Transavia, with Air France experiencing minimal impact. The issue originated from a software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, causing widespread problems, including grounded flights and service interruptions across various sectors.

Air France KLM is among the first airlines to quantify the financial impact of the outage. Zaat detailed that the majority of the disruptions impacted KLM and Transavia, leading to significant operational challenges.

The technology glitch, which occurred last Friday, also disrupted broadcasters and left customers without access to essential services such as healthcare and banking. Delta Air Lines has been the most affected U.S. carrier, cancelling over 6,000 flights since the incident, with potential losses estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

The financial implications of the outage underscore the vulnerability of airlines and other industries to technological disruptions, highlighting the importance of robust cybersecurity measures.