Japan Airlines (JAL), one of Japan’s largest carriers, successfully resumed operations early Thursday morning, December 26, 2024, after a cyberattack. The Japan Airlines cyberattack temporarily halted ticketing operations and caused significant flight delays domestically and internationally.
JAL Cyberattack Impact on Flight Schedules
The cyberattack targeted essential systems connecting the airline’s internal network with external platforms, leading to operational disruptions that affected ticket sales and caused delays. By 11:00 a.m., there were over 24 domestic Japan Airlines flight delays, with international flights also facing disruptions.
JAL’s quick response included identifying and addressing the root cause of the cyberattack, which was linked to a network router. “This issue was caused by a failure due to the transmission of a large amount of data, and there has been no customer data leakage or virus damage,” the airline announced.
By late morning, the airline announced that system recovery efforts were underway, and ticket sales for flights departing on the same day had resumed. However, standby services at airports for domestic flights scheduled for Thursday remained suspended to manage passenger flow and rescheduling.
Industry-wide Cybersecurity Concerns
This incident underscores a growing trend of airline cybersecurity breaches. Similar incidents include American Airlines’ temporary grounding due to technical issues and a massive IT outage in July that affected global airline operations.
According to cybersecurity experts, the aviation industry is particularly vulnerable to such threats, evidenced by the significant share of attack traffic and account takeover attempts reported in the travel sector.
This Japan Airlines cyberattack serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges in safeguarding airline operations against cyber threats. It highlights the importance of enhancing cybersecurity measures to protect operational integrity and passenger safety in an increasingly connected world.
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