Hawaiian Airlines, the tenth-largest commercial airline in the United States, is investigating a cyberattack that has disrupted access to some of its internal IT systems. In a public statement on Thursday, the airline assured that despite the digital intrusion, flight safety and operations remain unaffected.
With over 7,000 employees and 235 daily flights, Hawaiian Airlines serves 15 U.S. mainland cities and 10 international destinations across Asia and the Pacific. The company reiterated that safeguarding passengers and staff is its top priority and that flights continue as scheduled.
The company promptly engaged external cybersecurity experts and notified law enforcement and relevant authorities to assist in investigating the breach.
Website and Services Affected, Nature of Attack Still Unknown
A banner alert on Hawaiian Airlines’ website notifies visitors about the ongoing cyber event, while assuring that travel bookings and flights are running normally. Interestingly, Alaska Airlines, which owns Hawaiian Airlines following a recent acquisition by the Alaska Air Group, has also published a similar notification.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed there was no impact on airline safety, and stated, “We are monitoring the situation.”
It remains unclear whether the attack was ransomware-related or a containment measure after detecting unauthorized access. As of now, no hacker group or ransomware syndicate has claimed responsibility, and the airline has not disclosed the specific nature of the attack.
Industry-Wide Concerns Amid Wave of Airline Cyberattacks
The Hawaiian Airlines incident follows closely on the heels of a cyberattack on WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, which disabled access to their mobile app and website on June 13. WestJet is also cooperating with forensic experts and law enforcement in their ongoing investigation.
This recent wave of cyberattacks has once again highlighted the vulnerabilities of aviation infrastructure and the increasingly sophisticated threats facing the airline industry. Airlines are now under pressure to enhance cybersecurity readiness amid rising regulatory scrutiny and growing passenger dependence on digital systems.
Hawaiian Airlines said it is working toward an orderly restoration of services and will provide further updates as the investigation unfolds.