A cyberattack has targeted Europe’s busiest airports, including Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin, with delays, cancellations, and traveler confusion as airport technology systems stop functioning. Agency said hundreds of flights were affected and manual processing was the only option. The unprecedented disruption has become a flashpoint in the ongoing discussion of aviation cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, and airport resilience.
What Happened: Cyberattack Unfolding
On Friday night, September 19, officials at major hubs including Brussels Airport said that a vast cyberattack targeting check-in and boarding systems from Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX Corporation and aviation and defense software worldwide, had happened. The cyberattack reportedly caused them to cease electronic boarding and baggage drop functions altogether, creating chaos around staff efforts to manage passenger flow.
London’s Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport on Saturday morning confirmed that the technical issue had spread, saying: “Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports worldwide, is currently experiencing a technical issue that may result in delays to departing passengers.” It was reported that extra staff had been deployed to try to minimize disruption.
Brussels Airport advised travelers not to come to the airport unless their flight was confirmed, announcing “large impact on the flight schedule, and unfortunately delays and cancellations of flights,” which occurred. Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport also issued statements recognizing extended wait times and urged passenger patience.
Scope of Disruption
As reported on Reuters and The Independent, flights at three major airports were canceled or delayed for an extended period with thousands of travelers affected. By midday, the flight tracking platform FlightAware reported:
- Berlin-Brandenburg: 59 delays, 2 cancellations
- Brussels: 97 delays, 3 cancellations
- Heathrow: 136 delays, 5 cancellations
Other major airports, Frankfurt and Zurich said there were no immediate issues, but officials noted they were on alert, were at the ready, even if there were no immediate issues.
Collins Aerospace issued a statement saying their MUSE Multi-System Environment software, which supports passenger processing (check-in, boarding passes, baggage,) was targeted and rendered inoperable by the cyberattack event. They assured travelers and airline partners that they were “diligently working to restore full services as quickly as possible.”
Travelers and Airlines Respond
Passengers at all the affected airports experienced incessant lines of uncertainty and no flight updates provided as many airlines adopted more manual processes, which are slower and allow for more erroneous mistakes than digital automated systems. With a busy late-summer weekend, it was reported by travel correspondents that tens of thousands of people were affected across Europe, forcing some travelers to miss connections and, at least, others at the airports to delay and cancel traveling altogether.
Airlines and airports requested travelers check their flight status online prior to leaving for the airport and arrive only at the recommended time with confirmed flights to avoid excess travelers crowded on the airport premises.
Cybersecurity: Aviation’s Emerging Vulnerability
The incident has shone a spotlight on weaknesses in aviation IT infrastructure a rapidly digitizing industry where everything from check-in to baggage tracking and flight operations can be vulnerable to sophisticated cyberattacks. As experts told Sky News and BBC, the attack was “very clever affecting a number of airlines and airports at the same time,” and its impact is “extremely worrying on a busy European travel weekend”.
Collins Aerospace supports hundreds of airlines and dozens of airports around the world and emphasized that the incident impacted solely on electronic processes, and airports were able to continue to operate, albeit slowly and inefficiently, with manual processes in the interim supporting operations.
The Path Forward: Restoring Trust and Systems
Agencies and the company are working 24/7 to restore digital operations and lessen the disruption as best they can. The incident is an investigation into culpability and protecting aviation networks, but it will lead to reviews, at minimum, in the way the industry manages digital risk policies, emergency contingency plans, and cyber insurance. Travelers and companies should think about the incident as a reminder that even world-class airports and airlines are not immune to technology failures and cyber risks.
Travel Advisories were issued: European Airport Disruptions Linked to Widespread Cyberattack again reminding travelers to check for flight information, plan for patience and reserve a little more time, and expect standing and waking uncertainty across Europe’s skies.