A cyberattack on a provider of check-in and boarding systems has disrupted operations at several major European airports, including London’s Heathrow, the continent’s busiest, leading to flight delays and cancellations on Saturday. Collins Aerospace, which supplies check-in and boarding systems to multiple airlines at airports worldwide, is experiencing a technical issue that is affecting passenger processing. Heathrow Airport confirmed the disruption and warned travelers to expect delays for departing flights. Collins Aerospace’s parent company confirmed a ‘cyber-related disruption’ According to Reuters, Collins Aerospace’s parent company confirmed a ‘cyber-related disruption’ affecting its software at certain airports, without naming them. In a statement, the company said, The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations It added that teams are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Brussels Airport reported that the attack, which occurred on Friday night, has rendered automated systems inoperable, forcing airlines to rely solely on manual check-in and boarding procedures. Brussels also stated that there would be a ‘large impact on the flight schedule’, including cancellations and delays. Subsequently, Europe’s combined aviation safety organisation, Eurocontrol, also said that airline operators had been asked to cancel half their flight schedules to and from the airport between 04:00 and 12:00 GMT due to the disruption. By 10:00 BST on Saturday, flight tracker FlightAware reported close to 100 delays at Heathrow, about 70 in Brussels, and 15 in Berlin. Heathrow, among several European airports, hit by the cyber-attack Heathrow is among several European airports hit by a cyber-attack affecting an electronic check-in and baggage system. According to the BBC, the airport warned of possible delays due to a ‘technical issue’ affecting software provided by Collins Aerospace to several airlines. Heathrow said additional staffs were on hand in check-in areas to help minimise disruption. It added, We advise passengers to check their flight status with their airline before travelling to the airport and arrive no earlier than three hours before a long haul flight or two hours for a domestic flight
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