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Japan Airlines (JAL), the nation’s second-largest airline after All Nippon Airways (ANA) faced significant disruptions on Thursday after being targeted by a cyberattack. The incident resulted in delays for at least 20 domestic flights and raised broader concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure.
The issues began early Thursday morning, with JAL reporting network problems starting at 7:24 am local time. The airline’s social media platform X carried updates, stating, “We identified the cause of the problem at 8:56 and took action. We are currently checking the system recovery status.”
By 8:56 am, JAL announced that the root cause of the failure had been identified, although the system recovery process was still underway. Affected services included sales for domestic and international flights departing the same day, which were temporarily suspended.
In a public apology, the airline expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
A JAL spokesperson confirmed the company had been subjected to a cyberattack, warning that “a possibility that delays and cancellation may occur” remained. While the airline has yet to disclose specific details about the perpetrators or methods used in the attack, the incident underscores the growing threat of cyberattacks targeting critical sectors.
JAL also confirmed that the attack did not involve any viruses and that no customer data was leaked, reports Associated Press.
JAL’s ordeal is the latest in a series of cyberattacks targeting major Japanese organisations. In June 2024, Japan’s space agency JAXA revealed that it had been infiltrated by hackers. Although no sensitive information on rockets or satellites was accessed, the breach highlights the potential vulnerabilities in high-profile systems.
In 2023, Nagoya Port — one of Japan’s busiest commercial hubs — was cropped by a ransomware attack attributed to LockBit — a Russia-based cybercrime group. Even Japan’s National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC), responsible for defending against such threats, reportedly fell victim to a nine-month prolonged infiltration.
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