Johannesburg – South African Airlines (SAA) has announced it has experienced a serious cyber incident.
The violation began on Saturday, May 3, 2025, and temporarily suspended access to the airline's website, mobile apps and internal systems, prompting immediate action and minimizing operational impact.
Once detected, SAA said it was successful in enabling disaster recovery protocols, reducing violations and ensuring minimal disruption in flight operations.
Complete system repair is complete.
SSA said on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 that key customer service channels, including contact centres and sales offices, remained functional.
Research and regulatory compliance
Independent forensic investigations are underway to determine the root cause and scope of the attack, including whether it is an external cybercrime law.
The SAA is important to the public:
The incident was reported to the State Security Agency (SSA), and SAPS notified the information regulator under Popia
Data Security and Customer Guarantee
Preliminary findings assess whether data has been accessed or exftrated. If confirmed, the affected parties will be notified of each regulatory requirement.
Official Statement from SAA CEO
Professor John Lamola, Group CEO of SAA, said:
“In response to the cyber incident that began on May 3rd, we acted quickly, reduced disruption, restored services and launched a comprehensive investigation.
“Our robust business continuity measurements ensured operational stability, especially for our valued customers.”
Professor Lamora added: “We want to assure all stakeholders, including partners, customers and dedicated employees, that they have taken all the steps necessary to determine the root cause of this incident, strengthen our security framework and mitigate potential risks.
“SAA continues to be committed to providing safe, reliable and resilient services.”
SAA said it continues to work with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to strengthen its commitment to system integrity and passenger safety.
*This article was first published in sister publication techfinancials.co.za
