A cyberattack targeting check-in and boarding systems has disrupted air travel across several major European airports, resulting in significant delays. This incident, reported on Saturday, originated on the evening of Friday, 19 September, and has been especially problematic at Brussels Airport, where only manual check-in and boarding are currently operational. Airport officials indicated that the attack was having a considerable impact on their flight schedules.
Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport confirmed that a service provider for passenger handling systems was the victim of the cyber breach, leading to operators disconnecting from affected systems. Similarly, London Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, acknowledged that “a technical issue” with its service provider for check-in and boarding was contributing to the delays.
The service provider, Collins Aerospace, is responsible for managing check-in and boarding systems across multiple global airports. They confirmed they were experiencing difficulties that could delay departing flights. Notably, Qantas’s check-in services at Heathrow have also been affected, though the airline assured that they expect the issue to be resolved before their next flight, with no anticipated impact on customers. As a precaution, they have deployed backup iPads at counters and recommend that passengers check in online in advance.
Both Qantas and Virgin Australia have stated that operations in Australia remain unaffected by this disruption. Affected airports throughout Europe are encouraging travellers to check their flight statuses and have expressed apologies for any inconvenience caused by the incident.
Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX Corp. (formerly Raytheon Technologies), highlighted that its technology allows passengers to self-check in, print boarding passes and baggage tags, and handle their luggage at kiosks. They acknowledged a cyber-related disruption impacting their MUSE (Multi-User System Environment) software at select airports but have reassured that manual check-in processes remain operational during this downtime. Collins is actively working to rectify the situation and restore full functionality as quickly as possible.
While many airports have been impacted, others, such as Roissy, Orly, and Le Bourget in the Paris area, reported no disruptions due to the cyber incident.