A cyberattack on check-in and boarding systems has caused flight delays and disrupted operations at several major European airports, officials reported Saturday.
Brussels Airport said the breach forced staff to handle check-ins and boarding manually, significantly affecting flight schedules.
“There was a cyberattack on Friday night, September 19, targeting the service provider for check-in and boarding systems, impacting multiple European airports, including Brussels,” the airport said in a statement.
Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport also reported that its passenger handling service provider was attacked on Friday evening, forcing operators to disconnect from the systems.
London Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, described the issue as “a technical problem” affecting a check-in and boarding service provider.
“Collins Aerospace, which supplies check-in and boarding systems to several airlines across multiple airports worldwide, is experiencing a technical issue that may result in delays for departing passengers,” Heathrow said.
While the provider works to resolve the problem quickly, we advise passengers to check their flight status with their airline before travelling. Please arrive no earlier than three hours before a long-haul flight or two hours before a domestic flight. Additional colleagues are available in check-in areas to assist and help minimise disruption. We apologise for any inconvenience, the post added.
Airports urged travelers to confirm their flight status and apologized for any inconvenience.
Air India Travel Advisory: Possible Check-In Delays at Heathrow
Air India passengers flying from London may experience delays at check-in due to a third-party passenger system disruption at Heathrow Airport. Our ground teams are working diligently to minimise any inconvenience.
To ensure a smooth experience, passengers are strongly advised to complete their web check-in before arriving at the airport.
Collins Aerospace, a US-based aviation and defense technology firm founded in 2018 and a subsidiary of RTX Corp. (formerly Raytheon Technologies), provides the technology that allows passengers to check in, print boarding passes and bag tags, and dispatch luggage from kiosks, though it doesn’t manage direct check-ins itself.
No comment was immediately available from Collins’ U.K. office near London Gatwick, the country’s second-busiest airport.
Some airports were unaffected; Paris-area airports including Roissy, Orly, and Le Bourget reported no disruptions.