LONDON: Some of Europe’s biggest airports, including the region’s busiest, London’s Heathrow, raced to restore normal operations on Sunday after hackers disrupted automatic check-in systems.
Hackers on Saturday targeted Collins Aerospace, a check-in and boarding systems provider owned by RTX, causing widespread disruptions at Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels airports. Passengers experienced long queues, delays, and flight cancellations as a result of the cyberattack.
By early Sunday, the disruption had significantly eased, though some delays continued, according to airport officials and available data. Regional regulators confirmed they are investigating the source of the cyberattack, Reuters news agency reported.
This incident is the latest in a growing wave of cyberattacks affecting sectors ranging from healthcare to the automotive industry. A recent breach at Jaguar Land Rover temporarily halted production, while another cyberattack led to losses worth hundreds of millions of pounds for Marks & Spencer.
RTX described the incident as a “cyber-related disruption” affecting its MUSE software, which is used by several airlines for check-in and boarding operations.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport reported on Sunday that while issues persist, it is actively working with Collins Aerospace to resolve them.
A manual workaround has been implemented, and there are currently no major delays or cancellations, according to officials.
Brussels Airport, however, reported on Sunday that the cyberattack continued to have a “large impact on the flight schedule,” leading to ongoing delays and flight cancellations.
Heathrow Airport stated early Sunday that recovery efforts were still underway following the check-in system outage, but emphasized that “the vast majority of flights have continued to operate.”
According to aviation data provider Cirium, delays at Heathrow were categorized as “low,” Berlin experienced “moderate” delays, while Brussels faced “significant” delays—though those were reportedly decreasing.
