Tokyo
Japan Airlines (JAL) confirmed Thursday that its network system had been restored following a cyberattack earlier in the day that disrupted luggage services and delayed several flights. The airline resumed ticket sales for both domestic and international flights after a temporary halt, reassuring customers that no personal information had been leaked and no computer viruses caused damage.
The system disruption began at 7:24 a.m. local time, leading to problems with baggage check-ins and delays for approximately a dozen flights at various Japanese airports. By 8:56 a.m., JAL had blocked the data transmission device responsible for the failure. Investigations suggest the airline may have been targeted by a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, where networks are overwhelmed by excessive data from multiple sources in a short period.
While some passengers at Tokyo’s Haneda airport expressed concerns, especially with the busy year-end period approaching, there was no significant confusion at Narita airport. One passenger traveling to Ishigaki Island said, "I was able to check in fine, but it's worrying that there's trouble."
Japan Airlines is actively working to identify the source of the attack and address the issue. Cyberattacks, which compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of computer systems, are a growing concern as modern systems become increasingly interconnected and complex.