Cyberattack Causes Chaos for Japan Airlines Amid Holiday Rush

A cyberattack disrupted Japan Airlines' operations, delaying over 20 domestic flights during a peak travel period. The attack, suspected to be a DDoS, led to a temporary halt in ticket sales and impacted passengers at Tokyo's Haneda airport. Other airlines were unaffected.

Japan Airlines faced significant operational challenges on Thursday due to a cyberattack that resulted in delays for over 20 domestic flights. While the airline assured passengers that flight safety was not compromised, the incident caused considerable disruption during one of the busiest travel times of the year.

The cyberattack, described as a potential distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, began impacting Japan Airlines' network systems on Thursday morning. This led to a temporary suspension of ticket sales for both domestic and international flights scheduled for that day. Authorities, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, urged the airline to expedite recovery efforts.

With the year-end travel rush underway, television footage showed frustrated passengers stranded at Tokyo's Haneda airport. Despite the incident affecting Japan Airlines, other domestic carriers such as ANA Holdings and Skymark remained unaffected, allowing some travelers alternative options for their holiday journeys.

(With inputs from agencies.)