A cyberattack that hit Japan Airlines on Thursday has caused delays for more than 20 domestic flights.
However, the carrier said it was able to stop the onslaught and restore its systems hours later.
There was no impact on flight safety, it added.
Other Japanese airlines, including ANA Holdings, Skymark and Starflyer, were not affected, AP reports.
It was also noted that as of late morning, the cyberattack had delayed 24 domestic flights for more than 30 minutes.
According to JAL, the problem started Thursday morning when the company’s network connecting internal and external systems began malfunctioning.
The airline said it was able to identify the cause as an attack intended to overwhelm the network system with massive transmissions of data. Such attacks flood a system or network with traffic until the target cannot respond or crashes.
Information provided further noted that the attack did not involve a virus or cause any customer data leaks, JAL said.
Japan’s cybersecurity vulnerabilities have been a longstanding concern among experts, particularly as the country enhances its defence capabilities and collaborates more closely with international partners, including the United States, which have more robust cyber defences.
While Japan has made efforts to address these concerns, experts agree that further action is necessary. Recently, the country’s space agency revealed that it had faced a series of cyberattacks since 2023, although no sensitive information related to defense, satellites, or rockets was compromised.
An investigation is underway to implement preventive measures. In a separate incident last year, a cyberattack caused a three-day disruption to operations at a container terminal in Nagoya, highlighting the need for increased cybersecurity measures.
JAL’s ticket sales for both domestic and international flights scheduled for departure on Thursday were suspended temporarily but resumed several hours later.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular news conference Thursday that the transport ministry told JAL to hasten efforts to restore the system and to accommodate affected passengers.
https://apnews.com/article/