Qantas says hackers breached system holding data on 6 million customers

Australia’s flagship bearer says it believes a ‘significant’ magnitude of idiosyncratic information was stolen successful a cyberattack.

Qantas is investigating a large cyberattack aft hackers accessed a strategy holding idiosyncratic information belonging to 6 cardinal customers, Australia’s flagship hose has said.

Qantas took “immediate steps” to unafraid its systems aft detecting “unusual activity” connected a third-party level connected Monday, the hose said connected Wednesday.

The hose is investigating the magnitude of information that was stolen, but it expects that it volition beryllium “significant”, Qantas said successful a statement.

The affected information includes customers’ names, email addresses, telephone numbers, commencement dates and predominant flyer numbers, but not recognition paper details, idiosyncratic fiscal accusation oregon passport details, according to the airline.

Qantas said it had enactment further information measures successful place, and notified the police, the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

Qantas Group Chief Executive Officer Vanessa Hudson offered an apology to customers implicit the breach.

“Our customers spot america with their idiosyncratic accusation and we instrumentality that work seriously,” Hudson said.

“We are contacting our customers contiguous and our absorption is connected providing them with the indispensable support.”

The information breach comes arsenic Qantas is moving to rebuild its estimation pursuing a bid of controversies during the COVID-19 pandemic, including revelations that it sold tickets for thousands of cancelled flights and lobbied against a bid by Qatar Airways to run much flights to Europe.

Qantas earned its lowest-ever spot successful past year’s World Airline Awards by Skytrax, falling from 17th to 24th place, earlier climbing 10 spots successful the 2025 ranking.

Hudson’s predecessor, Alan Joyce, stepped down 2 months up of his scheduled status successful 2023, portion acknowledging the request for the hose “to determination up with its renewal arsenic a priority”.

Last week, the FBI successful the United States said that a cybercriminal radical known arsenic Scattered Spider had expanded its targets to see airlines.

The FBI said the hacking radical often impersonates employees oregon contractors to deploy ransomware and bargain delicate information for extortion purposes.