Multiple airports across Europe are currently grappling with significant disruptions, including flight delays and cancellations, following a suspected cyber attack that incapacitated their automated boarding systems.
The disturbance began around 9 p.m. local time on Friday, Sept. 19, when London’s Heathrow Airport reported a “technical issue” affecting the automated IT systems employed by several airlines. This situation necessitated staff to manually process passengers, leading to widespread delays.
In a statement on X, Heathrow Airport expressed regret over the inconvenience and informed passengers that Collins Aerospace, the provider of check-in and boarding systems for various airlines worldwide, was facing a technical problem that might impede departing flights. The airport urged travelers to verify their flight statuses with their airlines and added that additional personnel would be available in check-in areas to assist.
As images surfaced online depicting passengers stranded in long lines, the fallout from the issue extended to Brussels Airport the following day. The airport confirmed that only manual check-in and boarding procedures were functioning, prompting airline operators to cancel half of their scheduled flights to and from Brussels between Saturday morning and early Sunday.
Berlin Airport also reported increased wait times due to the “technical issue,” and other airports, like Münster/Osnabrück Airport in Germany, noted they were indirectly affected, redirecting their systems to existing internal IT infrastructure to mitigate disruptions.
RTX, the parent company of Collins Aerospace, issued a statement acknowledging their awareness of the cyber-related disruption impacting the MUSE software at select airports. They emphasized their commitment to resolving the situation and restoring full functionality as quickly as possible, stating the effects were mostly confined to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop functions.
Passengers expressed frustration over the ongoing delays and uncertainty regarding boarding times. One traveler at Heathrow recounted waiting with her elderly parents since early morning without any information on their flight. Others noted that despite the long lines, the airport staff seemed organized and were assisting to expedite the process for those with impending flights.
Challenges remain as airports work to rectify the situation and restore normal operations.
