Japan Airlines Affected by Cyberattack, Domestic and International Flights Delayed

JAPAN: Japan Airlines (JAL) flight operations were affected on Thursday, December 26, due to a system malfunction caused by a cyberattack. The airline also suspended ticket sales for flights departing the same day. Despite the disruption, JAL confirmed that flight safety remains unaffected.

In a statement, the airline said the malfunction, which led to delays in domestic and international flights, was linked to network equipment connecting the airline with its customers. The carrier identified the source of the problem—a malfunctioning router—and temporarily shut it down.

At the time of filing of this report, efforts to restore the system were ongoing. JAL has apologized for the inconvenience caused to passengers and assured that updates would follow as the situation evolves.

Meanwhile, JAL’s shares dropped by as much as 2.5 percent during trading on Thursday, marking their steepest intraday decline since early October.

Founded in 1951, Japan Airlines operates out of major hubs in Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda airports, as well as Osaka’s Kansai and Itami airports. Over the years, it has transitioned from a state-owned entity to a fully privatized airline in 1987. 

The incident comes shortly after a similar issue affected American Airlines Group Inc. on Christmas Eve. A technical glitch involving DXC Technology Co., a third-party vendor managing the airline's flight-operating systems, caused a one-hour ground stop for all US flights.

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