Cyberattack Disrupts Check-In Systems At Major European Airports

Major European airports faced flight delays and cancellations because check-in and boarding systems were disrupted by a cyberattack.

Some operations at London’s Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels airports were disrupted after software from service provider Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX Corporation, was affected.

“At Heathrow, Berlin and Brussels, at least 29 departures and arrivals have been cancelled so far,” aviation data provider Cirium reported as noted by Aljazeera.

“We advise passengers to check their flight status with their airline before travelling,” Collins Aerospace said. The company added that “the impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations,” Cirum added.

Brussels airport said the cyberattack “has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cause delays and cancellations of flights.”

Berlin airport warned of longer waiting times, stating, “Due to a technical issue at a system provider […] there are longer waiting times at check-in. We are working on a quick solution,” as reported by Aljazeera.

Travelers at Heathrow Airport faced extended delays and disorganization during their time at the airport. BBC gives the example of Lucy Spencer who said she queued for over two hours for a Malaysia Airlines flight.

“They told us to use the boarding passes on our phone, but when we got to the gates they weren’t working—they’ve now sent us back to the check-in gate,” she said. Monazza Aslam added she had been sitting on the tarmac for over an hour with “no idea when we will fly.”

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed she was monitoring the situation and “getting regular updates,” as reported by BBC. Some airports, including Frankfurt, Zurich, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Orly, were not affected. EasyJet and Ryanair said they were operating normally.

No group or state actor has claimed responsibility, and there is no evidence of stolen data, as noted by Aljazeera. Analysts warned that cyberattacks could be ransomware-related or state-sponsored, reports BBC.