SYDNEY, July 2 – Australian airline Qantas has disclosed a major cybersecurity breach that exposed the personal information of six million customers, marking the country’s largest data breach in recent years and a serious blow to the airline’s ongoing efforts to rebuild public trust.
In a statement released Wednesday, Qantas said the hacker infiltrated a third-party customer service platform linked to one of its call centres. The compromised database contained sensitive customer information, including:
Full names Email addresses Phone numbers Dates of birth Frequent flyer membership numbers
While no passwords or credit card details were exposed, the airline acknowledged the scale and sensitivity of the breach.
“We take the security of our customers’ data extremely seriously and are working closely with cybersecurity experts and regulators,” Qantas said.
A Setback Amid Recovery
The cyberattack comes as Qantas works to recover from a recent reputational crisis, including customer service issues and leadership turnover. This breach could complicate its efforts to win back loyalty and trust from the public.
The third-party platform involved in the incident was not named, but Qantas confirmed that immediate steps have been taken to isolate the system and strengthen security protocols. The airline is also notifying affected customers and offering support.
A Growing National Concern
This breach adds to a growing list of major cyber incidents in Australia, highlighting ongoing vulnerabilities in both public and private sector systems. It also raises questions about the security of outsourced service providers, especially those handling sensitive customer data.
Regulators and cybersecurity authorities are now involved in the investigation, and the incident is expected to prompt further scrutiny over how companies manage and protect user data.