Tokyo, Japan – Japan Airlines (JAL) confronted a cyberattack on Thursday that disrupted over 20 domestic flights, causing delays during the bustling year-end travel season.
The airline reported that the issues began in the morning when their network systems connecting internal and external operations started malfunctioning. Passengers at Tokyo’s Haneda airport faced crowded terminals as flights were delayed.
“We identified the cause as an attempt to overwhelm our network with massive data transmissions,” JAL stated. “There was no breach of customer data, and flight safety was not compromised.”
The incident comes at a critical time when millions are traveling for the New Year’s holidays, one of Japan’s most significant celebrations. With offices closing for the holidays, many people are returning to their hometowns, leading to increased travel activity.
JAL managed to halt the cyberattack and restore its systems by late morning. However, 24 domestic flights experienced delays of more than 30 minutes. Ticket sales for both domestic and international flights scheduled for departure on Thursday were temporarily suspended but resumed several hours later.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi informed the media that the transport ministry urged JAL to expedite system restoration and support affected passengers.
Other Japanese airlines, including ANA Holdings, Skymark, and Starflyer, reported no impact from the cyberattack.
This event highlights growing concerns over cybersecurity in Japan. Earlier this year, the nation’s space agency faced a series of cyberattacks, and last year, a cyberattack paralyzed operations at a container terminal in Nagoya for three days.
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Japan Airlines hit by hacks, delaying flights during year-end season
cgtn.com
