A cyberattack targeting a service provider for check-in and boarding systems has disrupted operations at several European airports, causing flight delays and cancellations at airports in Brussels and Berlin and London’s Heathrow, officials said.
The attack on Saturday has rendered automated systems inoperable, allowing only manual check-in and boarding procedures, according to Brussels Airport.
“This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cause delays and cancellations of flights,” the operator said in a statement published on its website.
“The service provider is actively working on the issue and trying to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.”
Passengers with a flight scheduled for Saturday were advised to confirm their travel with airlines before heading to the airport.
At least 10 flights were cancelled out of Brussels Airport and another 17 delayed by over an hour, the airport said.
“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,” Berlin airport said in a banner on its website.
London’s Heathrow — one of the busiest airports in Europe — likewise warned travellers of delays, citing a “technical issue” at Collins Aerospace, a company that provides check-in and boarding systems to several airlines globally.
“We advise passengers to check their flight status with their airline before travelling,” it said, noting that extra staff had been deployed to assist.
Collins confirmed that the attack targeted its MUSE software, which is used for passenger check-in and baggage drop at select airports, British daily The Independent reported.
“The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual operations,” the company said in a statement, adding that it was working to restore full functionality “as quickly as possible.”
EasyJet also said its operations remained unaffected despite the disruption.
