New Delhi, Sep 20 (UNI) Operations at several leading airports of Europe, including London's Heathrow airport, were disrupted today due to a cyberattack targeting a service-provider for check-in and boarding systems, leading to major flight delays and cancellations.
The disruption, which occurred late on September 19, disrupted automated processes at key hubs, forcing airport authorities to switch to slower manual operations.
Passengers arriving for early-morning flights on Saturday faced long queues and uncertainty as airlines scrambled to keep schedules on track.
According to reports, Collins Aerospace (the service provider facing a cyberattack) which provides check-in and boarding systems for several global airlines, is facing a technical issue.
Collins Aerospace is an American Multinational corporation and one of the world's largest suppliers of aerospace and defense products. It was formed in 2018 from the merger of Rockwell Collins and UTC Aerospace Systems engaged in different domains including designing, manufacturing and servicing systems and components for commercial innovation.
Brussels Airport confirmed the attack in a detailed statement on its official website, saying, "There was a cyberattack on Friday night 19 September against the service provider for check-in and boarding systems affecting several European airports including the Brussels airports. This means that at the moment only manual check-in and boarding is possible. The service provider is actively working on the issue trying to resolve the problem as quickly as possible."
Berlin Airport also issued a cautionary advisory to passengers, underscoring the scale of the outage. "Due to a technical issue at a system provider operating across Europe, there are longer waiting times at check-in. We are working on a quick solution," the airport posted, urging travelers to arrive well in advance of their scheduled departures.
Basically, a cyberattack on an airport is a malicious digital attempt to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to an airport's critical digital systems and networks, aiming to cause widespread operational paralysis, data breaches, or safety hazards.
Following the disruption, Heathrow Airport, in a statement said: "Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports globally, is experiencing a technical issue that may cause delays for departing passengers.
"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."
In 2024, a cyberattack hit Japan Airlines that could impact both domestic and international flights, while later the airline announced that it had identified and addressed the cause.