Japan Airlines (JAL), one of Japan's major carriers, experienced service disruptions on Thursday following a cyberattack that impacted both domestic and international operations.
The network issues began around 7:24 AM local time, forcing JAL to temporarily suspend ticket sales for all flights departing that day. At least nine domestic flights faced delays as the airline worked to address the situation.
The company's spokesperson confirmed the cyberattack early Thursday, warning passengers about possible flight delays and cancellations. JAL, which ranks as Japan's second-largest airline after All Nippon Airways (ANA), later announced they had identified and resolved the root cause of the problem.
"We identified and addressed the cause of the issue. We are checking the system recovery status," JAL stated in a social media update. The airline also apologized to passengers for the inconvenience caused by the service disruption.
The incident highlights the growing vulnerability of aviation systems to cyber threats and their potential impact on airline operations and passenger travel plans.
While JAL has taken steps to restore normal operations, the full extent of the cyberattack's impact on the airline's systems and operations remains under assessment.