||Rakesh Jhunjhunwala|| Akasa Air issues apology after data breach||
Akasa Air, which started operations less than a month ago, has suffered a data breach, resulting in some customer information being accessed by unauthorized individuals. The airline on Sunday (August 28) apologized for the data breach and said the incident has been “self-reported” to the nodal agency, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In).
| Airline Founded: December 2021 | |
| Chief compliance officer: Priya Mehra CFO: Ankur Goel | |
| Chief information officer: Anand Srinivasan General counsel: Priya Mehra | |
| Founders: Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Vinay Dube, Aditya Ghosh Parent company: SNV Aviation Pvt. Ltd | |
| Fleet size: 3 Destinations: 4 | |
| Key people: Vinay Dube (Founder, Managing Director & CEO), Aditya Ghosh (Co-founder) Commenced operations: 7 August 2022 |
The company further stated that there was “no intentional hacking attempt” based on its records. Nevertheless, it has advised users to exercise caution against possible phishing attempts. In a communication posted on its website, the airline said that a temporary technical configuration error related to its login and sign-up service was reported on August 25.
As a result, some Akasa Air registered user information, including names, genders, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers may have been read by unauthorized individuals. Apart from the aforementioned information, “we can assure you that no travel-related data, travel records, or payment data were compromised,” the statement read. The airline claimed that as soon as it learned about the incident, unauthorized access had been stopped. After more safety measures were applied, service was resumed.
Anand Srinivasan, Co-Founder and Chief Information Officer, Akasa Air, said, “We would like to clarify that based on our records there was no intentional hacking attempt, but that the situation was reported by a research expert through a journalist for which we are grateful.” Akasa Air also stated that system security and the security of customer information are of paramount importance. “We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused as a result of this,” it added.
Akasa Air, the first Indian carrier to be launched in nearly a decade, operated its inaugural flight from Mumbai to Ahmedabad on 7 August. Billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, who passed away earlier this month, had made substantial investments in the airline.