Hawaiian Airlines Confirms Cybersecurity Incident, Flight Operations Unaffected
Hawaiian Airlines announced on Thursday that it is responding to a cybersecurity incident that disrupted portions of its IT infrastructure. Despite the event, the airline emphasized that its flight operations remain unaffected.
In a notice posted on its website at 10:45 a.m. PST, the Honolulu-based carrier informed customers of an IT outage impacting certain systems. “Hawaiian Airlines is addressing a cybersecurity event that has affected some of our IT systems,” the company said in an official statement.
Upon discovering the issue, the airline stated it “took steps to safeguard our operations” and is working with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to investigate and resolve the incident. The airline later reiterated that it continues to operate its full flight schedule and that guest travel has not been impacted.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed it is in communication with Hawaiian Airlines and is monitoring the situation closely. “There has been no impact on safety, and the airline continues to operate safely,” the FAA noted in a statement.
Airlines Under Increasing Cyber Threat
The incident comes amid growing concern over cyberattacks targeting the aviation industry, which handles vast amounts of sensitive passenger data.
“With international travel at its peak, the aviation sector is under significant strain to maintain uninterrupted service. Cybercriminals are exploiting that pressure,” said Dr. Darren Williams, Founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm BlackFog. “Airlines are high-value targets due to the volume of personal and financial data they manage.”
Hawaiian Airlines, which serves over 10 million passengers annually through its hub at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu, is the latest in a string of carriers affected by cyber incidents.
Just last week, Canadian airline WestJet experienced a breach that forced it to restrict access to its internal systems, though flight operations remained stable. In recent years, other victims have included Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (targeted by the Rhysida ransomware group), Air Canada (claimed by the Bian Lian group), AerCap (attacked in 2024), and Kenya Airways.
Major aerospace players like Boeing and Japan Aviation Electronics have also fallen victim to ransomware groups such as LockBit and the now-defunct ALPHV/BlackCat.
As of now, no hacker group has claimed responsibility for the Hawaiian Airlines breach.