Japan Airlines hit by cyberattack; 14 flights delayed, ticket sales suspended

Japan: Japan Airlines (JAL) on Thursday reported being hit by a cyberattack, resulting in delays of up to an hour to at least 14 domestic and international flights which further led to the suspension of ticket sales, according to reports from Kyodo News agency. As per the reports, the issues began at 7:24 am approximately, which further prompted suspension of ticket sales. Passengers who had already purchased tickets were informed that their bookings remained valid despite the disruptions.

Taking on X (formerly Twitter), Japan Airlines said, “A system malfunction has been occurring in the network equipment that connects the company and its customers since 7:24 am (Local time) today. This is expected to affect both domestic and international flights. We will notify you in our next announcement as soon as we have confirmed the situation. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.”

“We identified the cause of the problem at 8:56 and took action. We are currently checking the system recovery status. In addition, sales have been suspended for both domestic and international flights departing today. We apologize for any inconvenience caused,” wrote in another post on X (formerly Twitter).

【ネットワーク機器不具合に関するお知らせ 10:00現在】
8:56に障害の原因となっている要因を特定し、対処いたしました。現在システムの復旧状況を確認中です。また本日出発する国内線、国際線ともに販売を停止しております。ご迷惑をおかけしておりますことをお詫び申し上げます。

— JAL 運航情報【公式】 (@JAL_flight_info) December 26, 2024

Despite the disruptions, Japan Airlines (JAL) stated that it was working to address the cyberattack and identify its source, noting that it could have a broader impact on its flights. The airline have successfully shut down the router that was believed to be compromised. The Metropolitan Police Department has been contacted regarding the situation and an investigation is underway, according to Kyodo News reports.

(With inputs from agencies)