Disruption in air travel across Europe is expected to persist, particularly at Brussels Airport, where authorities have requested airlines to cancel nearly half of their flights scheduled for Monday. This decision follows a cyber-attack on Friday that impacted the automatic check-in and boarding systems at several of the continent’s busiest airports.
While the situation has improved significantly in major hubs like Berlin and London Heathrow by Sunday, lingering delays and cancellations still affected numerous passengers. Collins Aerospace, the software provider at the center of the issue, issued a statement on Monday indicating that it was in the final stages of implementing necessary software updates to rectify the problems.
Brussels Airport noted that the service provider is actively addressing the situation, but the timeline for full resolution remains uncertain. Airlines have been advised to cancel approximately 140 out of 276 planned outbound flights for Monday, as per reports from the AP news agency. At Heathrow, officials reported ongoing efforts to resolve the disruption and extended apologies to affected travelers, emphasizing that the majority of flights were still operating. Passengers were urged to verify their flight status prior to reaching the airport.
Reports indicated that about half of the airlines operating from Heathrow had resumed services in some capacity by Sunday, including British Airways, which had implemented a backup system since Saturday. Similarly, a spokesperson for Berlin Airport mentioned that some airlines were continuing to board passengers manually, with no clear indication of how long the electronic issues would persist.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre revealed that it was collaborating with Collins Aerospace, impacted UK airports, the Department for Transport, and law enforcement to assess the extent of the attack. UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander acknowledged the situation and noted that she was receiving regular updates to monitor developments.
Furthermore, the European Commission is closely watching the cyber-attack’s implications but stated that there is no indication of widespread or severe repercussions. Notably, a recent report from French aerospace firm Thales highlighted that cyberattacks within the aviation industry have surged by 600% over the past year, underscoring the increasing risks faced by this critical sector.
