Description

Russian regional carrier KrasAvia is suffering a severe IT disruption, widely suspected to be the result of a cyberattack. The airline website has been unavailable since early Friday morning, blocking all web-based ticket sales. Travelers attempting to purchase flight tickets online are presented with error messages, and the airline has sent customers to offline ticketing offices and travel agencies. The outage has brought frustration to many travelers, especially those using digital means for last-minute bookings. As a response, KrasAvia has made all flight planning and operation management manual. Functions normally managed by automated systems—crew assignments, flight planning, and aircraft dispatch—are being handled manually on paper. Though the workload has increased, the airline assures that all flights continue to function, albeit possible delays based on the slower manual process. A spokesman said, "We are operating around the clock to prevent and mitigate consequences," highlighting efforts to ensure safety and avoid interrupting services. Although the airline has not admitted to a cyberattack, local Telegram reports indicate the event was a case of deliberate hacking. An online-posted now-deleted screenshot indicated the hijacked version of the airline's homepage. The incident has drawn parallels to a July cyberattack on Russia's largest carrier, Aeroflot, which also experienced similar IT disruptions before resuming over several days. KrasAvia has not yet offered a timeline for resuming regular service but offered updates via its official channels of communication. In the meantime, travelers are urged to book and check social media and local news for live updates using offline channels. The incident spotlights increasing cybersecurity threats to aviation and the requirement of robust digital defenses to safeguard vital infrastructure.