Japan Airlines confirms system restoration, resumes ticket sales for same day flights following cyberattack

TOKYO : Following a cyberattack, Japan Airlines (JAL) announced that it has resolved a system malfunction caused by a large-scale data attack, confirming that there were no customer data leaks or virus infections.

While ticket sales for flights departing on the same day have resumed, JAL said that certain services, including the “Airport Standby” and upgrade service for domestic flights remain suspended.

Sharing a post on X, Japan Airlines wrote, “We have identified the cause and scope of the malfunction, and the system has been restored. The issue was due to a large data attack and did not result in any customer data leaks or virus infections.”

In another post, it said, “Ticket sales for flights departing today have resumed. For domestic flights departing today, the “Airport Standby” service and the Upgrade service on the JAL website and JAL app are suspended. Please check the latest information on our website before departure.”

Earlier in the day, JAL had announced that its network had been targeted by a cyberattack, leading to delays of up to an hour for at least 14 domestic flights and disruptions to some international flights as well, Kyodo News reported.

The airline reported that the issues began at approximately 7:25 am, prompting it to suspend ticket sales for all domestic and international flights for the remainder of the day. Passengers who had already purchased tickets were advised that their bookings remained valid.

JAL had said that it was working to counteract the cyberattack and determine its source, adding the attack may have a larger effect on its flights. The airline succeeded in temporarily shutting down the router believed to have been compromised. The Metropolitan Police Department was contacted by JAL and is looking into the matter, investigative sources said, according to Kyodo News. (ANI)