Japan Airlines says hit by cyber attack

Japan Airlines (JAL) said systems were up and running again after being targeted by a cyber attack. The firm is Japan's second largest airline after All Nippon Airways.

Japan Airlines (JAL) on Thursday said it had managed to restore systems after being the target of a cyber attack.

There were delays to domestic and international flights, but the cause was found and dealt with.

 "We have identified the cause and scope of the malfunction, and the system has been restored," the airline said.

What else do we know about the cyber attack on JAL?

The airline said the attack began at 7:24 a.m. local time (2224 UTC).

The company said it temporarily shut down a router that was causing system malfunctions and suspended the sale of tickets for flights departing on Thursday.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that over a dozen flights had been delayed at several Japanese airports, but added that there were no mass cancellations or major disruptions.

Other cyber attacks

JAL, which is Japan's second largest airline after All Nippon Airways, is not the only major Japanese firm to suffer from cyber attacks in recent years.

In 2022, Japan's government said a cyber attack forced a Toyota supplier to halt operations at domestic plants for a day.

In June of this year, the video-sharing website Niconico suspended its services due to a cyber attack.

Japan's space agency, JAXA, said it was hit by a cyber attack in 2023 but that no sensitive information was accessed.

Last week, American Airlines grounded flights due to what was described as a technical issue.

sdi/wd (AFP, Reuters)