Japan Airlines (JAL) faced significant disruptions on Thursday due to a cyberattack that caused delays to 24 domestic flights, impacting passengers during one of the busiest travel seasons in Japan. The holiday season in Japan is a critical time when millions of people travel to visit their hometowns for the New Year celebrations. The attack began in the morning when JAL's internal and external network systems began malfunctioning, leading to the suspension of ticket sales for both domestic and international flights.

According to reports from Kyodo News, JAL suspects that the incident may have been caused by a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack, a type of cyberattack in which systems are overwhelmed with a flood of data from multiple sources, disrupting normal operations. Although there was no indication that the cyberattack posed any danger to flight safety, the delays caused significant inconvenience for passengers. As the attack persisted, more than 20 domestic flights were delayed for over 30 minutes, with the potential for further delays throughout the day.

The attack led to travel chaos at Tokyo's Haneda airport, with many passengers stranded due to suspended ticket sales. The Japanese government, through Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, urged the airline to expedite the restoration of the affected systems and provide appropriate accommodations for the disrupted passengers. The transport ministry also intervened to ensure that JAL took swift action to resolve the issue.

While JAL faced widespread disruption, other Japanese carriers, including ANA Holdings, Skymark, and Starflyer, reported no issues or delays due to the cyberattack, which suggests that the problem was isolated to Japan Airlines' systems.

The timing of the cyberattack was particularly problematic, as it coincided with Japan's year-end travel season, which is a peak period for domestic travel. The flight delays added stress to the New Year holidays, a time when offices close and millions of people travel across the country to reunite with family members. The airline's troubles highlight the vulnerability of the aviation sector to cyberattacks, especially during busy travel periods when demand is high.

The impact of this cyberattack on JAL echoes a similar incident just days earlier when American Airlines also faced technical issues that led to the grounding of flights in the United States. American Airlines flights were grounded nationwide after a systemwide technical issue was reported, leading to an advisory from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for a ground stop of all flights.

In both cases, passengers were left stranded and airlines had to scramble to resolve technical issues, causing delays and disruptions during the critical travel period. The impact on Japan Airlines serves as a reminder of how vulnerable the aviation industry can be to cyber threats, especially as more services and operations are increasingly reliant on digital infrastructure.

With the New Year holidays just beginning, the Japanese government and JAL face increasing pressure to restore order and provide compensation or alternative travel options for passengers affected by the delays. The incident also raises concerns about the broader security of airline networks and their preparedness against cyberattacks, which have become an emerging threat in the aviation industry.

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