Japan airlines hit by massive cyberattack, flights affected: All you need to know

Japan Airlines (JAL) faced a cyberattack on Thursday morning, disrupting its internal and external systems.

The attack, which started at 7:24 am local time (2224 GMT), was confirmed by JAL.

“Today, from 7:24am, we have been under cyber attack on our internal and external network devices, causing problems with the systems that communicate with external systems. We expect this to affect both domestic and international flights.” JAL said in a post on X.

While the airline acknowledged the breach, a spokesperson from the airlines told AFP that there were no immediate updates regarding potential delays or cancellations.

JAL, the nation's second-largest airline after All Nippon Airways (ANA), is the latest in a series of Japanese companies targeted by cyberattacks.

In 2022, a cyberattack disrupted operations at a Toyota supplier, forcing the world's top automaker to suspend production at its domestic plants for an entire day.

More recently, in June, the popular Japanese video-sharing platform Niconico had to suspend its services due to a large-scale cyberattack, as reported by its operator.

This incident follows a similar disruption earlier this year at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), which experienced significant delays attributed to a "possible cyberattack." The attack reportedly caused an "internet and web systems outage" at the Port of Seattle, resulting in operational disturbances.