Qantas has confirmed a cyber incident that compromised customer data in one of its contact centres. The airline said the breach occurred on a third-party customer servicing platform used by its call centre operations. While the system has since been contained, the breach has impacted records of up to six million customers.
The airline assured that there is no impact on its operations or flight safety. Qantas systems remain secure, and the breach is limited to the third-party platform, which does not store credit card details, personal financial information, or passport data. Importantly, frequent flyer accounts, passwords, and login credentials were not accessed.
Preliminary investigations revealed that stolen data may include customers’ names, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, and frequent flyer numbers. Qantas is working closely with the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the Australian Federal Police, and independent experts as part of its ongoing response.
Vanessa Hudson, CEO, Qantas Group, apologised to affected customers, stating, “We sincerely apologise to our customers and we recognise the uncertainty this will cause. Our customers trust us with their personal information and we take that responsibility seriously. We are contacting our customers today and our focus is on providing them with the necessary support. We are working closely with the Federal Government’s National Cyber Security Coordinator, the Australian Cyber Security Centre and independent specialised cyber security experts.”
The airline is contacting affected customers directly and has established a dedicated support line and information page on its website. Customers can access support by calling 1800 971 541 (Australia) or +61 2 8028 0534 (international). Those with upcoming travel plans do not need to take any action, and can continue to manage bookings via the Qantas app or website.
