Airport operations across several European countries were disrupted on Saturday after a cyberattack crippled check-in and boarding systems, leading to widespread flight delays. Officials confirmed that the incident affected multiple major airports, with passengers advised to check flight status before travelling.
Brussels Airport said the attack forced it to rely only on manual check-in and boarding, which had a “large impact” on flight schedules. “There was a cyberattack on Friday night, 19 September, against the service provider for the check-in and boarding systems affecting several European airports, including Brussels Airport,” the statement read.
Authorities at Berlin Brandenburg Airport also confirmed disruptions after a service provider for passenger handling systems was targeted on Friday evening. As a precaution, operators disconnected the affected systems.
London’s Heathrow Airport, the busiest in Europe, called the issue a “technical problem” linked to a global service provider. “[The company], 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,” Heathrow said.
Meanwhile, airports in the Paris region — Roissy, Orly and Le Bourget — reported no disruptions.
Collins Aerospace Confirms Software Disruption
The cyberattack was linked to Collins Aerospace, a US aviation and defence technology firm and subsidiary of RTX Corp. The company confirmed that its MUSE software, which supports electronic passenger check-in and baggage drop at self-service kiosks, had been disrupted.
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“We have become aware of a cyber-related disruption to our MUSE software in select airports. The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations,” the company said in a statement to AFP.
While airports have implemented manual procedures to continue operations, authorities warned that passengers should expect delays until systems are fully restored.
