European Airports Struggle to Recover After Cyberattack Cripples Check-In Systems

Some of Europe’s busiest airports are still grappling with widespread disruptions after hackers targeted check-in and boarding systems provider Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX, on Friday. The attack has disrupted operations in London’s Heathrow, Berlin Brandenburg Airport, and Brussels Airport, causing long queues, delays, and flight cancellations.

While Berlin and Heathrow reported improved conditions by Sunday, Brussels Airport continued to face major setbacks. Officials confirmed that Collins Aerospace had yet to deliver a secure, updated version of its MUSE software, which is essential for restoring full functionality. As a result, Brussels ordered airlines to cancel half of Monday’s scheduled departures.

According to the airport operator, 50 of Sunday’s 257 scheduled flights were cancelled, compared to 25 cancellations out of 234 departures the day before. The move was aimed at preventing chaos, last-minute cancellations, and excessive waiting times for passengers.

Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest, said on Sunday that most flights were still operating despite the outage, though recovery efforts were ongoing. Aviation data provider Cirium noted that delays at Heathrow were “low,” while Berlin faced “moderate” delays, and Brussels remained at “significant” disruption levels.

Passengers’ experiences varied widely depending on whether they had checked in online. “For me, it was business as usual,” said one passenger at Brussels Airport. “But for those poor souls who didn’t do online check-in or had bags to check, they may be waiting a bit.”

Collins Aerospace confirmed that its MUSE software had been affected and emphasized that manual check-in systems were available as a temporary solution. However, regulators are investigating the source of the hacking, which marks the latest in a series of cyberattacks across industries including healthcare and the auto sector. Recently, Jaguar Land Rover suffered a production halt due to a breach, while Marks & Spencer reported losses in the hundreds of millions of pounds from a separate cyber incident.

For now, airports and airlines are relying heavily on manual operations as cybersecurity experts work to contain the breach and restore normal service.

In other news:Kenya in Talks to Free 4 Kenyans Trafficked to Fight for Russia, Captured in Ukraine

European Airports Struggle to Recover After Cyberattack Cripples Check-In Systems