Customer reservation information held for Korean Air and Asiana Airlines was exposed after a security breach involving Amadeus, the global travel technology provider used by both carriers. The incident affected information processed through a shared outside supplier rather than separate direct attacks on each airlineโs internal database, according to statements reported by multiple Korean news outlets.
- Affected airlines
- Korean Air and Asiana Airlines
- Technology provider
- Amadeus IT Group
- Confirmed data type
- Customer reservation-related information
- Investigation status
- Affected fields and customer numbers remain under review
Korean Air said Amadeus formally notified it of the exposure on October 20 at about 10:44 p.m. The airline then introduced protective measures and began checking its own systems. Asiana subsequently confirmed that reservation-related customer information associated with its operations had also been exposed through the provider.
Korean Air reservation numbers were among the information confirmed as affected. Asiana said payment information was not included in its exposed data, while both carriers reported no indication that their internal databases had been directly compromised. The complete set of exposed fields and the number of affected customers remained under investigation.
Unauthorized access traced to a supplier account
Reports attributed the incident to unauthorized access using login credentials assigned to an Amadeus system account. The suspected access period extended from August 2023 through September 2026, although the precise duration, activity during that period and volume of information accessed have not yet been fully established.
Because reservation records can connect travelers with specific bookings, customers receiving notices should treat unexpected messages about flights, refunds or itinerary changes cautiously. The available evidence does not establish misuse of the exposed information, but the loss of reservation identifiers may increase the risk of convincing impersonation attempts directed at affected travelers.
Both airlines said they had strengthened security measures and asked Amadeus to improve personal-data protections and prevent a recurrence. Further findings from the providerโs investigation will be needed to determine the incidentโs scale, the exact records involved and whether unauthorized access resulted in any additional customer harm.