On April 20, 2021, the company Radixx said it found "unusual activity" around its booking system. It didn't mention much about the malware or how it got into the software.
According to a security vendor, a ransomware attack sparked a days-long blackout that prompted reservations systems at around 20 low-cost airports around the world to collapse.
A ransomware assault triggered an interruption of carrier reservation systems this week, according to Radixx, a software company that works with low-cost airlines. Sabre Corporation's subsidiary provides low-cost airlines with an air passenger ticket reservation system.
On April 22, Radixx revealed that its reservation system, Radixx Res™, had been affected by a malware incident on April 20. According to reports, the incident did not affect Sabre networks, and the consumer account was not hacked. According to the group, the problem has affected approximately 20 airlines.
In an interview, Sabre Corporation stated, “Radixx Res™ operates in its historical, dedicated datacenter, which is a separate operational environment from Sabre systems. Based on the investigation to date, Sabre’s systems, including its GDS, Airline IT, SabreSonic passenger service system, and Hospitality Solutions systems, were not impacted. The company also noted its investigation indicates that the Radixx database containing customer information was not compromised in the event.”
On April 23, 2021, Radixx posted an update stating, “We want to further update you on Radixx’s recent incident as part of our ongoing communication efforts, and the following information is subject to update. We are starting to recover service to our customers, and our teams are coordinating with customers throughout that process. In parallel, we will continue to provide support to our customers with their manual operations. We understand the urgency of the situation and are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We regret the disruption this is causing.”
Peach Aviation in Japan, Air Belgium, Sky Airlines in Chile, Air Transat in Canada, Aero K Airlines in South Korea, Salam Air in Oman, FlySafair in South Africa, Air India Express, and Wingo in Colombia were among the airlines impacted.
Many travelers could not make, adjust, erase, or validate reservations via the airlines' portals due to the service disruption, though air operations were unaffected. Travelers were told that they should contact the airline companies to manage their booking needs in certain situations, such as the Air India Express note.
In other situations, travelers were told that if they wanted to postpone a flight but couldn't due to the service interruption, the airlines would refund them with flight compensation or some other agreement.
