Airport authorities advised travellers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. They also apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers. (Photo: AP)
Several of Europe’s busiest airports faced massive disruptions after a cyberattack targeted check-in and boarding systems. The attack struck on Friday night, 19 September, and caused widespread delays in flight operations.
Airport authorities advised travellers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. They also apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
Brussels Airport confirmed in a statement that the cyberattack had a “large impact” on its flight schedules. With the systems down, staff had to rely only on manual check-in and boarding.
“There was a cyberattack on Friday night, 19 September, against the service provider for the check-in and boarding systems affecting several European airports, including Brussels Airport,” the statement read.
Authorities at Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport also reported issues. The airport confirmed that the service provider for passenger handling systems was attacked on Friday evening. To prevent further risks, operators cut off all connections to the systems.
London’s Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest, described the disruption as a “technical issue.” It explained that the issue affected the service provider responsible for check-in and boarding systems, which provides check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports globally, is experiencing a technical issue that may cause delays for departing passengers, Heathrow Airport authority said in a statement on X.
While several hubs across Europe felt the impact, not all airports were hit. The Roissy, Orly, and Le Bourget airports in the Paris area reported no disruptions and continued normal operations.
The affected service provider is Collins Aerospace, a US aviation and defence technology company formed in 2018. It is a subsidiary of RTX Corp., formerly known as Raytheon Technologies.
The company’s systems don’t directly check passengers in but support self-service kiosks. These kiosks allow passengers to print boarding passes and bag tags and dispatch their own luggage.
In a statement, Collins Aerospace confirmed the disruption.
"We have become aware of a cyber-related disruption to our MUSE software in select airports. The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations," the company said.
While manual check-in has allowed flights to continue, long queues and delays remain a major problem. Airports are working to restore normal operations as quickly as possible. Passengers are being urged to reach airports early and stay updated on their airline’s advisories.
