The airline affirms that flight safety is unaffected as technical experts attempt to restore the system.
TOKYO- Japan Airlines (JL) stopped ticket sales and experienced operational interruptions on December 26 owing to a cyberattack on its network equipment.
The hack disrupted the airline’s customer connection systems, resulting in delays on both domestic and international flights.
Japan Airlines Cyberattack
JAL identified a failing router as the source of the disturbance and turned it off to avoid further problems. The airline affirms that flight safety is unaffected as technical experts attempt to restore the system.
The cyberattack occurs during Japan’s prime winter travel season, exacerbating the impact on vacation travelers. JAL shares fell 2.5% in response to the announcement, marking the sharpest intraday decrease since early October.
The situation is similar to American Airlines’ recent technical failure on Christmas Eve, when a DXC Technology Co. issue caused a one-hour ground stop across U.S. operations. This is the second major airline system interruption of the 2024 holiday season.
Japan Airlines, founded in 1951, serves from key hubs such as Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda airports and Osaka’s Kansai and Itami airport. In 1987, the carrier completed the transition from state control to full privatization.
To manage the crisis and keep key operations running, the airline has put in place emergency processes. JAL continues to monitor the system’s restoration efforts while keeping customers updated on flight status updates.
Technical teams are actively working to address the router fault and resume normal operations. During system recovery, the airline communicates with affected passengers via different means.
Similar Incidents
American Airlines (AA) canceled all US flights for an hour on Tuesday (December 24, 2024) owing to technical issues, resulting in major delays across its network. The airline’s vendor-related technology breakdown rendered crucial flight release systems inoperable, including weight and balance calculations required for takeoff.
Flight operations resumed by mid-morning, but the disruption lasted throughout the airline’s schedule. Business Insider posted Cirium statistics, which revealed that 63% of American’s 3,900 global flights were delayed as of 2 p.m. Eastern Time, with only 19 flights cancelled.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the nationwide ground stop early Tuesday and announced its lifting about an hour later. American Airlines responded quickly, deploying its crew to handle the backlog of affected flights and passengers.
Similarly, in October 2024, Southwest Airlines experienced a system-wide technological breakdown that impacted its website and mobile app, preventing passengers from obtaining booking information and flight status. The airline cites high travel numbers as the primary cause of the interruption.
Downdetector detected concentrated outage affects in major transit hubs such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Chicago.
Earlier this month (December 2024), a system-wide technological failure led Alaska Airlines (AS) to temporarily shut down its website. Alaska Airlines suspended flights at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for 40 minutes to ensure aircraft safety.
Alaska Airlines’ issue prevented customers from buying tickets across all platforms, including their website, mobile app, and call centers. The interruption resulted in a chain reaction of service delays across their network.