The recent global IT outage caused by CrowdStrike, which plunged millions of Windows systems into a Blue Screen of Death loop, had a significant impact on air travel. In the United States, virtually every flight was grounded as systems began to fail. However, one major airline, Southwest Airlines, remained untouched by the chaos.
The reason for Southwest’s immunity? Its reliance on outdated versions of Windows. While other airlines relied on newer operating systems that were vulnerable to the CrowdStrike error, Southwest’s systems run on Windows 3.1, a version of Microsoft’s operating system released in 1992. Their most advanced system, the staff scheduling system, runs on Windows 95. This archaic technology ensured that Southwest’s operations remained unaffected by the outage.
While airports and computer systems across other major U.S. airlines, such as United, Delta, and American Airlines, were crippled by the blue screen error, Southwest could still operate as usual. This meant that the airline maintained complete control of all aircraft, staff, and customer data during the outage.
Despite the criticism for running such outdated software, Southwest’s decision to stick with its legacy systems ultimately saved the airline from the brunt of the CrowdStrike fallout. This incident serves as a stark reminder that sometimes, the old ways can be the most reliable.
