Japan Airlines hit by cyberattack, delaying flights during year-end holiday season

Japan Airlines said it was hit by a cyberattack Thursday, causing delays to more than 20 domestic flights but the carrier said there was no impact on flight safety.

JAL said the problem started Thursday morning when the company’s network connecting internal and external systems began malfunctioning.

The airline said the cyberattack had delayed 24 domestic flights for more than 30 minutes, and the impact could expand later in the day.

The Kyodo News Service reported that the airline told police that it may have been the victim of a distributed denial-of-service, or DDoS attack, in which networks are overwhelmed by data from multiple sources over a short period.

JAL’s ticket sales for both domestic and international fights scheduled for departure on Thursday were suspended temporarily.

Read more: ABC News