Cyberattack on Japan's airline cause flight delays, cancellations

Japan's second-largest airline was hit by a cyberattack Thursday, causing multiple flight delays and cancellations and bringing inconvenience to tourists during a traditional year-end busy travel season.

Japan Airlines said its network system started malfunctioning from around 7:25 Thursday, and the problems were fixed before 14:20 but the related impacts lasted.

By 16:30 Thursday, three domestic flights were canceled and a total of 64 domestic and international flights were delayed for over 30 minutes, with the longest being more than four hours.

At the Haneda Airport in Tokyo, many flights were delayed or rescheduled. Travelers said the sudden malfunction of the carrier's network system caught them off guard, leaving them in shock and confusion.

"I was heading for a concert, but my flight has been delayed by about 40 minutes. The airline company's network system was attacked, which is really a shock to me," said a passenger.

"We have been unable to check in yet, and the airline company has not offered us a specific solution," said another traveler.

The airports in Japan's Kansai, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Okinawa also saw flights of Japan Airlines delayed, including those to China.

Japan Airlines is the second largest airline in Japan after All Nippon Airways (ANA). After the news of the cyberattack came out, the company's stock price fell 2.5 percent on Thursday before recovering slightly.

The flight disruption also delayed mail and parcel deliveries across Japan, said Japan Post.

Cyberattack on Japan's airline cause flight delays, cancellations

Cyberattack on Japan's airline cause flight delays, cancellations

Cyberattack on Japan's airline cause flight delays, cancellations

Cyberattack on Japan's airline cause flight delays, cancellations

Cyberattack on Japan's airline cause flight delays, cancellations

Attendees at a China Media Group (CMG) event expressed enthusiasm for the growing trend of Chinese brands moving up the global value chain, producing and marketing high-quality products that are redefining the image of China-made products.

The CMG's CCTV business channel recorded its New Year's Eve Speech program at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing on Thursday evening. The event invited business leaders from prominent Chinese manufacturing enterprises to share their experiences in expanding into global markets.

"When Chinese brands go global, what people truly experience is a transformation in their quality of life. In product development, we prioritize meeting consumer needs through technological innovation. Gree's slogan is 'Made in China, Loved by the World.' We want people to understand China through the use of our products," said Dong Mingzhu, chairwoman of Gree Electric Appliances, a leading home appliance giant.

Other speakers shared their insights on the globalization process of Chinese brands, emphasizing how innovation and quality have enabled Chinese companies to make a global impact and demonstrate their international competitiveness.

As part of this globalization process, Chinese enterprises are actively integrating into local communities and contributing to the development of local industrial chains.

"In recent years, we have focused on the domestic market while expanding internationally, working tirelessly to enhance the global influence of Chinese clothing brands and amplify China's voice in international fashion. With China's growing overall strength, Chinese brands are now accelerating their movement toward the mid-to-high end of global value chains. We firmly believe that in the future, more Chinese brands will step onto the global stage," said Gao Dekang, founder and chairman of Bosideng, one of China's leading clothing brands.

The program will be broadcast at 22:30 on December 31st, New Year's Eve.

CMG event highlights global competitive edge of Chinese brands