Cyberattack hits check-in systems at some of Europe’s busiest airports

Some of Europe’s busiest airports have experienced delays and disruptions due to a cyberattack that targets check-in and boarding systems.

Some airport operations, including those at London’s Heathrow, were suspended on Saturday after a service provider’s software was hacked during the attack.

According to Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports around the world, Heathrow Airport, the country’s largest and busiest international airport, “is experiencing a technical issue that may cause delays for departing passengers.”

While the provider works quickly to resolve the issue, it advised travelers to check their airline’s status before departing.

A major aerospace and defense company with headquarters in the United States, Collins Aerospace is a subsidiary of RTX Corporation, a division of Raytheon Technologies. RTX did not name any airports where it was aware of a “cyber-related disruption” to its software.

The company stated in a statement that it was working to resolve the problem as quickly as possible that “the impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop.”

The attack also affected automated systems in Berlin and Brussels, which allowed only manual check-in and boarding procedures.

According to Brussels airport, “This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfavorably cause delays and cancellations of flights,” adding that the cyberattack took place on Friday night.

There are longer waiting times at check-in due to a technical issue at a system provider, according to the statement. In a banner on the airport’s website, Berlin Airport stated that it was “working on a quick solution.”

According to a spokesperson, Frankfurt Airport, one of Germany’s largest, was unaffected. It was also reported to be unaffected by an official from the Zurich airport’s operations control center.

No delays were reported at the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, as well as the nearby Orly and Le Bourget airports.