Hawaiian Airlines Reports Cybersecurity Incident; Flight Operations Remain Uninterrupted

Hawaiian Airlines, one of the largest commercial carriers in the United States, is actively investigating a cyberattack that has resulted in limited disruptions to its internal systems.

Operating with more than 7,000 employees and conducting an average of 235 daily flights, the airline connects the Hawaiian Islands to 15 cities on the U.S. mainland and 10 additional destinations throughout Asia and the Pacific.

The airline issued a statement voicing that the incident has not compromised flight safety and that it has engaged appropriate authorities to assist in the investigation of the breach.

In addition, Hawaiian Airlines has enlisted external cybersecurity specialists to evaluate the impact of the attack and facilitate the restoration of the affected systems.

“Hawaiian Airlines is addressing a cybersecurity event that has impacted certain IT operations. Our foremost concern is the safety and security of our passengers and staff. We are implementing measures to secure our operations, and all flights are operating safely and on schedule,” the airline communicated.

“Upon discovering this incident, we engaged relevant authorities and cybersecurity experts to support our investigation and remediation initiatives. We are diligently working toward a structured restoration and will provide updates as we secure more information.”

A notice on the airline’s website indicates that the incident has not affected flights or travel arrangements in any capacity.

This same alert is also visible on the Alaska Airlines website, as Alaska Air Group acquired Hawaiian Airlines last year.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed in a statement, “There has been no impact on safety, and the airline is continuing its operations without interruption. We are monitoring the situation closely.”

At present, it remains uncertain whether the malfunction in Hawaiian Airlines’ systems was due to a ransomware attack that encrypted data or if the systems were intentionally shut down to mitigate potential breaches.

The specifics of the attack have not been publicly released, and no ransomware groups have claimed responsibility for the incident as of now.

A Hawaiian Airlines representative was not immediately available for further comments regarding the situation.

This incident follows a similar cyberattack that targeted WestJet, the second-largest airline in Canada, on June 13, which obstructed customer access to the airline’s mobile application and website.

WestJet is also collaborating with third-party forensic specialists to investigate the cyber incident and is engaging with law enforcement as part of its compliance requirements.