American and Southwest Airlines suffer a data breach

A third-party vendor associated with American Airlines and Southwest Airlines experienced a data breach.

Pilot Credentials, which manages the pilot and cadet hiring and recruitment portal for several airlines, had a cybersecurity incident involving some data files.

Law enforcement members were notified of the breach and were conducting further investigation.

The incident did not impact any American Airlines customer data, and American’s internal systems, including customer and team member data, remain secure.

Southwest also confirmed that none of its networks or systems were affected. It notified former applicants whose personal information was involved in the breach and is providing them with complimentary credit monitoring services.

According to a Data Breach Notification filed in the Maine attorney general’s office, the breach involved 5745 American Airlines pilots and applicants and 3009 for Southwest.

The two airlines began contacting affected individuals. The airlines learned of the incident on May 3, according to a letter sent to those affected. The two airlines, which are among the largest in the world, reportedly no longer using Pilot Credentials and will instead direct applicants to an internal portal.