United Airlines hacking linked to China
A group of hackers with alleged ties to the Chinese establishment managed to hack into United Airlines’ systems, says a Bloomberg report.
Citing unnamed sources, the report said the carrier suffered a data breach in May or June by hackers who were also responsible for infiltrating the US Office of Personnel Management and health insurer Anthem Inc.
Data stolen from United includes flight manifests, but is unclear to what extent as investigators are still trying to determine the scale of the breach.
United Airlines spokesman Luke Punzenberger would not comment on the breach but said the airline remains ‘vigilant in protecting against unauthorised access’.
Investigators have found no link between the breach and the July 8 system outage which grounded flights for two hours.
After Bloomberg asked for a comment from the Chinese Embassy in Washington, spokesman Zhu Haiquan said in a statement: "The Chinese government and the personnel in its institutions never engage in any form of cyber attack. We firmly oppose and combat any forms of cyberattacks."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11