Japan Airlines Faces Cyberattack Disruption with Over 60 Delayed Flights and Canceled Domestic Routes

Japan Airlines experienced significant disruptions on Thursday as a cyberattack led to over 60 flight delays, including 11 international routes, and two domestic cancellations. The airline quickly resolved the network issues, confirming no customer data breach or safety risks.

Cyberattack Causes Flight Disruptions at Japan Airlines

On Thursday, Japan Airlines Co Ltd said that its network had been interrupted by a cyberattack, causing aircraft cancellations and delays.

There was a 30-minute delay on more than 60 flights as of 7 a.m. GMT, including 11 foreign destinations. The airline also said that two domestic flights had to be canceled, Investing.com reports.

Problems with network hardware that links internal and external systems caused the interruption. After confirming the issue and restoring its systems, Japan Airlines announced it had done so by afternoon.

No Data Breach or Malware Detected

There was no compromise of customer information or harm caused by malware, according to the carrier, who added that the network disruption was caused by an inflow of data.

The airline stressed that flight operations and safety were unaffected.

After momentarily pausing bookings earlier in the day, Japan Airlines resumed selling tickets for flights departing Thursday. Some airport systems used for booking and checking bags have been affected, according to a representative.

Stock Market Reaction Reflects Operational Challenges

During Tokyo trading, shares of Japan Airlines fell more than 2% but then rallied to conclude the session down 0.24 percent.

Reuters noted that ANA Holdings Inc, another major Japanese airline, had denied any involvement in a cyberattack.

Thousands of travelers had their travel plans derailed earlier this week as American Airlines Group experienced a major disruption that momentarily grounded all flights for an hour on Christmas Eve owing to a technical issue with their network gear.