The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a public warning due to a group of sophisticated hackers targeting the airlines industry. Scattered Spider hackers exploit their social-engineering skills to pose as employees or contractors and gain unauthorized access to airlines’ systems. These attacks often involve bypassing multi-factor authentication (MFA) using convincing help desk support to include unauthorized devices in hacked accounts. After gaining system entry, hackers steal sensitive data to use in extortion or to distribute ransomware. The FBI Cybersecurity Warning has not specified whether the attacks are uniquely linked to Scattered Spider, but recent cyberattacks in several airlines indicate an alarming trend.
Most Recent Cyber Breaches Affecting Airlines
There have already been instances of purported cybersecurity attacks in major airlines in recent weeks. In June, WestJet, a Canadian airliner, said it had an internal cybersecurity issue that beset its phone app and restricted people’s use. WestJet assured passengers that operations were not disrupted and that police and IT experts were engaged to determine the cause. Hawaiian Airlines was similarly hit with the same issue with its IT systems but said operations of its own flights were not disrupted. Qantas had similar news in early July when a cyber thief struck a call center and broke into a third-party customer support program and uncovered the personal details of six million passengers. Qantas assured passengers sensitive details like credit card numbers and passport numbers were not disturbed.
Delta’s Frequent Flyer Account Lockdown
Delta Air Lines was also vulnerable to a cyber attack when it froze the use of some frequent flyer accounts. This was highlighted when a journalist tried to use his Delta account and was unable to reset his password. Delta then acknowledged that the security problems had hit several hundreds of its customers, possibly as many as 68,000. The firm reset passwords as a precaution and required affected passengers to revalidate their identities. Delta has proceeded to assure passengers that the security for the SkyMiles accounts remains sound.
Starlink Leads in In-Flight Wi-Fi Speeds
In a major breakthrough in in-flight connectivity, Ookla, the firm renowned for rating Wi-Fi speeds, announced that Elon Musk’s satellite network Starlink was leading the pack in offering individuals faster in-flight Wi-Fi. Having tested 30 U.S.- and foreign-based airlines in the first quarter of 2025, the study established that Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways, both using Starlink connectivity, attained download speeds of 161 Mbps and 120 Mbps, respectively. This contrasts with the performance from US carriers like Spirit Airlines and American Airlines as well as Delta, which had slower speeds. United Airlines is in the midst of installing Starlink on its entire aircraft fleet and this might enhance their in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity.
American Airlines and JetBlue Alliance Hit with Judicial Hiccup
In its significant judicial decision, the U.S. Supreme Court denied American Airlines’ appeal of its Northeast Alliance with JetBlue. The alliance, whereby both airlines had looked to coordinate their schedules and share revenues on routes flying out of Boston and New York, was halted by a U.S. district judge due to antitrust concerns that the partnership would stifle competition. JetBlue had already withdrawn from the alliance, but American Airlines was looking to re-establish the partnership. This latest ruling, however, in essence precludes any future collaboration between the two airlines on the alliance.
JetBlue Joins Forces with United Airlines
Even though American Airlines’ efforts to re-form the JetBlue alliance failed to materialize, JetBlue has gone ahead and signed an agreement with its longtime nemesis, United Airlines. The agreement includes the unification of their passenger loyalty programs and sharing of slots at major airports, specifically New York JFK and Newark Liberty International. This agreement will grant United its initial JFK access since 2022 and will immensely boost its operations in the New York area.
Delta Introduces Services at San Jose Mineta International
Delta Air Lines has been expanding its operations at San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC). Following its this year’s launch of daily service to Las Vegas, Delta now offers a seasonal new daily service from San Jose to its Detroit hub from July 7. The seasonal service will terminate on November 30 and adds to Delta’s existing SJC routes to Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Seattle. This is the latest in Delta’s growing operations at this Silicon Valley airport.
United Increases Transpacific Flights
United Airlines is expanding its transpacific network with an addition of a year-round route from San Francisco to Kaohsiung, Taiwan. From the 11th of July onwards, this new connection will provide travelers with a seamless transit through Tokyo Narita. Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s southernmost location, will now become easily accessible to travelers with this addition and will extend United’s Asia-Pacific footprint further. This route will operate with a 737-800 aircraft for the Tokyo-Kaohsiung segment.
Transatlantic Airlines Extend and Cut Routes
As winter approaches, airlines are fine-tuning their seasonal schedules. TAP Air Portugal announced this month that it will maintain its Los Angeles to Lisbon service through the winter season but will operate a less frequent routing, three times a week instead of four. ITA Airways in Italy also adjusted its LAX-Rome service and will operate the service weekly through the winter season, commencing in January 2026. Others are reducing frequencies. Turkish Airlines began with 12 weekly frequencies from San Francisco to Istanbul this November but will operate only 10. Air France will seasonalize its Denver-Paris route and will cease to fly from October through April.
Latin American Carriers Announce Route Changes
Brazilian carrier Azul, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this month, announced that it will eliminate three routes from Fort Lauderdale in its latest network revisions: to Manaus, Belo Horizonte, and Curacao. This is part of the carrier’s ongoing network restructuring.
Oman Air Expands Oneworld Network
Oman Air in Muscat, Oman, has officially joined the global alliance made by Oneworld as its newest and 15th member. Oman Air passengers now have worldwide access to over 700 luxury airport lounges through this membership. In addition to that, members of Oneworld have the privilege to gain and redeem mileage points, priority check-in benefits, and lounge accommodation in Oman Air’s 42 airports in 22 nations. This membership adds to the power of the Oneworld alliance to cover more frequent travelers.
Conclusion: Dynamic Airline Industry Landscape The airlines world is in flux, from problems regarding cybersecurity to expanding routes and changing alliances. Airlines are facing security threats to passengers and responding with increased security protections on the Internet. In the meantime, their networks keep expanding with expanded routes to foreign destinations and longer seasonal operations. As airlines manage these concerns, passengers can expect a mix of better in-flight service, expanded locales, and ongoing revisions to their schedules. The airlines world is in flux and these trends are significant for passengers to absorb when making plans to fly.
The post Now, American Airlines Joins with Oman Air, JetBlue, Delta, United, TAP Air Portugal and More in a Oneworld Alliance Expansion with New Routes Amid FBI Cybersecurity Warning appeared first on Travel And Tour World.July 07, 2025 at 12:20AM.jpeg){kind=small}
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