Massive cyber-attack on European airline systems; flight operations disrupted at major airports

Major European airports, including London’s Heathrow, warned of flight delays on Saturday after a “technical issue” hit check-in and boarding systems, UK broadcaster Sky News reported.

Brussels Airport officials said the disruption was caused by a cyberattack, forcing staff to switch to manual check-in. The airport confirmed that 10 flights were cancelled and 17 others delayed by over an hour.

“It is still too early to say when the problem will be resolved,” authorities told Sky News, adding: “This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cause delays and cancellations of flights.”

Berlin Airport also reported delays. In a notice on its website, it said, “Due to a technical issue at a system provider…there are longer waiting times at check-in. We are working on a quick solution.”

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Germany’s Frankfurt Airport, however, said it was not affected.

The cyberattack targeted a company that supplies check-in and boarding systems to several airlines worldwide, according to Brussels Airport.

London’s Heathrow, meanwhile, warned of delays linked to the third-party supplier and advised passengers to check their flight status before travelling.

Separately, Reuters identified Collins Aerospace as the provider facing the “technical issue”. The company supplies passenger processing systems for airlines across multiple airports globally.