There were fears on Wednesday that Australian flag carrier Qantas had been hit by a massive data breach after the airline’s mobile app malfunctioned and started to the booking details and boarding passes of frequent flyers to other customers who shouldn’t have had access
The airline has been forced to issue an apology for the technical hitch which could lead to an investigation by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner over the potential data and privacy breach.
Issues started to affect the Qantas mobile app early on Wednesday and it soon became apparent that customers were being served booking details, including boarding passes, for other passengers who they didn’t know.
Qantas says that the issue may be connected to a recent system upgrade that went awry and the airline was quick to reassure customers that a cyber security breach is not suspected at this time.
“We sincerely apologise to customers impacted by the issue with the Qantas app this morning, which has now been resolved,” the airline said in a statement. “Current investigations indicate that it was caused by a technology issue and may have been related to recent system changes.”
A spokesperson for the carrier noted that passengers who were able to view booking details for other customers weren’t actually able to transfer of use Qantas Points from unsuspecting frequent flyers who have had their personal data shared without their consent.
Qantas also said that there were unspecified processes in place to prevent customers from using someone else’s boarding pass to get on a flight they shouldn’t have been on.
A spokesperson added: “There were no reports of this happening.”
Along with the customer’s name and upcoming flight details, including boarding pass, the Qantas app incorrectly displayed their points balance and status to other people. The app did not, however, share any other financial information.
Although the app now appears to be working as it should, the airline said it was continuing to closely monitor its systems to prevent a repeat.
