Japan Airlines (JAL) reported a cyberattack on Thursday that caused delays to both domestic and international flights. The airline confirmed that 24 domestic flights were delayed by over 30 minutes, with baggage check-in issues at several Japanese airports. However, no major disruptions occurred. JAL identified the issue and resolved it, stating that sales for flights on the day of the attack were temporarily suspended.
The cyberattack, suspected to be a DDoS attack, began at 7:24 am and impacted the airline’s network. By 8:56 am, JAL isolated the affected router, restoring operations without compromising safety. The airline’s stock dropped by up to 2.5% after the news broke but later recovered.
JAL joins a list of Japanese companies hit by cyberattacks, including Japan’s space agency (JAXA) in 2023 and Toyota’s supplier in 2022. The airline also recently faced a tragedy at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, where human error led to a deadly collision between a JAL passenger jet and a coast guard plane. The crash, which killed five people on the coast guard plane, was caused by a misunderstanding of air traffic control instructions.
