A significant cyberattack targeting a service provider for check-in and boarding systems has led to considerable disruptions across several major European airports, primarily affecting operations at London’s Heathrow Airport, which ranks as the busiest in the continent. Passengers have reported delays and flight cancellations as a result of the technical issues stemming from Collins Aerospace, a company responsible for providing check-in and boarding systems for numerous airlines globally.
Heathrow Airport acknowledged the disruptions and indicated that the technical difficulties could potentially delay departing passengers. Other airports impacted include Brussels and Berlin, both of which confirmed similar issues through their official statements. The parent company of Collins Aerospace, RTX, acknowledged a “cyber-related disruption” affecting its software at select airports, although specific locations have not been disclosed.
The automated systems reliant on the software have become inoperable, necessitating a shift to manual check-in operations. As stated by Brussels Airport, the incident originated on Friday night and has already resulted in a marked impact on the flight schedule, with the airport reporting the cancellation of 10 flights and an average of one hour delay for all departing flights.
In light of the ongoing disruptions, passengers scheduled to travel on Saturday are being urged to verify their flight status with airlines prior to arriving at airports. Delta Air Lines has indicated it anticipates minimal disruption to flights operating from the affected airports, noting that they have implemented a workaround to alleviate delays.
Berlin Airport acknowledged the issue on its website, announcing, “Due to a technical issue at a system provider operating across Europe, there are longer waiting times at check-in.” Conversely, Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s largest, has confirmed it remains unaffected, as has Zurich Airport.
EasyJet, one of Europe’s leading airlines, reported that operations are continuing normally and it does not foresee any impact on flights for the remainder of the day. Meanwhile, Ryanair and British Airways’ parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), have yet to provide comments on the situation.
Polish airports reported no indications of threats, as stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski. The British transport minister, Heidi Alexander, has been vigilant in monitoring developments, receiving regular updates as the situation unfolds.
