Threat Intelligence · Privacy
Asian airlines report customer data breaches after Amadeus IT attack
Six major Asian airlines say customer data was exposed after a cyberattack on Amadeus, their Spanish IT provider. Booking details, names and some passport numbers were leaked, but not payment data.
Ross GrantUpdated 2 min read
The short version
A cyberattack on Amadeus, a company that handles booking systems for many airlines, exposed personal details of customers from six major Asian airlines. The leaked data includes names, booking numbers, and sometimes passport information, but not payment details. The airlines say their own systems were not hacked. Amadeus has fixed the problem and is working with customers and authorities.
By the numbers
- 92,000Japan Airlines customers affectedRecorded Future News
- 53,000Cathay Pacific records stolenRecorded Future News
- 46,000Singapore Airlines records accessedRecorded Future News
- $6.5 billionAmadeus annual revenueRecorded Future News
What happened?
Six major Asian airlines have reported data breaches after a cyberattack on Amadeus, their Spanish IT provider. Customer data such as booking numbers, names, and some passport numbers were exposed. Amadeus said no payment data was accessed and the vulnerability has been fixed. The airlines' own systems were not affected, according to their statements.
Who is affected
Six major Asian airlines have reported data breaches linked to an attack on their shared IT provider, Amadeus. The airlines are Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines. These companies rely on Amadeus for flight reservation, ticketing and check-in systems.
Japan Airlines said 92,000 customers were affected. Singapore Airlines reported 46,000 records accessed, and Cathay Pacific said 53,000 records were stolen. The other airlines have not yet given numbers. All the airlines said their own systems and operations were not directly impacted by the attack, only customer data held by Amadeus was exposed.
What was taken
According to statements from the airlines and Amadeus, the exposed data includes booking numbers, passenger names, flight details, and in some cases, passport numbers, travel documents, frequent flyer numbers and email addresses. Singapore Airlines said confirmation numbers, travel itineraries and names were among the leaked information. Amadeus said there is no evidence that payment or financial data was accessed.
How the attack worked
Amadeus said the breach was caused by a vulnerability in a travel booking display environment. Attackers used login credentials assigned to a system account to access the data. The company has not explained how the credentials were obtained or whether they were stolen or guessed. There is no evidence that the attack involved ransomware or that the attackers contacted Amadeus directly.
The response
Amadeus said it has fixed the vulnerability and improved monitoring and detection. The company is in contact with affected customers and authorities. Singapore Airlines said it will contact people with upcoming flights to change their booking numbers and warned customers to watch for phishing emails. The airlines are working to notify affected customers and advise them on next steps.
Has this happened before?
The airline industry has seen several data breaches in the past year. The report mentions incidents at Spanish airline Iberia and Air Côte d'Ivoire in 2026, and a major breach at Qantas in 2025 where 6 million customer records were stolen. That breach led to fines for Qantas executives.
Why it matters
This breach shows how attacks on third-party IT providers can affect many companies at once. Sensitive travel details and identification data were exposed, which could be used for identity theft or phishing. The incident highlights the risks of supply chain attacks in the airline industry.
Key points
- Six Asian airlines affected by Amadeus data breach
- At least 191,000 customer records exposed across three airlines
- Leaked data includes booking numbers, names, flight details and some passport numbers
- No payment or financial data was accessed, according to Amadeus
- Incident highlights supply chain risks in the airline industry
Sources
Recorded Future News
Reference