A widespread cyberattack targeting a service provider responsible for check-in and boarding systems caused major operational disruptions at several key European airports on Saturday, including London’s Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin. The attack led to extensive delays and numerous flight cancellations, affecting thousands of passengers across the continent. Collins Aerospace, which operates the compromised systems for multiple airlines and airports worldwide, confirmed that technical issues linked to the cyberattack were ongoing. Heathrow Airport issued advisories urging departing passengers to check their flight status due to expected delays.
Brussels Airport reported that automated check-in and boarding services were non-functional, forcing staff to revert to manual processing for departing passengers. The airport noted that the disruption had a significant impact on the flight schedule, resulting in unavoidable delays and cancellations, and added that the service provider was actively working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Travellers were advised to confirm their journey with airlines before traveling to the airport. Similarly, Berlin Airport posted a notice on its website highlighting longer waiting times at check-in due to a technical issue at a European-wide system provider, assuring that efforts were underway to restore normal operations.
Despite the disruptions in several countries, Polish authorities, including Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, stated that there were no threats to airports within Poland. He confirmed that information was being closely monitored and that Polish authorities were coordinating with counterparts in other affected countries. Meanwhile, major hubs such as Frankfurt Airport in Germany and Zurich Airport in Switzerland reported normal operations, indicating that the cyberattack’s impact was not uniform across Europe. The incident underscored the vulnerability of critical airport infrastructure to cyber threats and highlighted the importance of coordinated responses to ensure continuity in air travel operations.
