A widespread cyberattack targeting Collins Aerospace, a major service provider for airline check-in and boarding systems, severely disrupted flight operations across several prominent European airports including Brussels, London Heathrow, and Berlin.

The attack, which struck late on September 19, forced automated passenger processing offline and compelled airports to revert to manual check-in and boarding processes, leading to significant delays, long queues, and multiple flight cancellations.

Brussels Airport confirmed the breach against its service provider, cautioning passengers to allow extra time for travel procedures—two hours in advance for Schengen flights and three hours for international departures.

Heathrow acknowledged the disruption, attributing it to Collins Aerospace’s network outage, and similarly advised travellers not to arrive more than three hours prior to long-haul flights or two hours before domestic departures, while mobilising additional staff to assist with congestion.

Berlin Airport also faced extended waiting times at check-in, citing the same Europe-wide provider disruption, though it stressed that technical teams were engaged in efforts to quickly restore normal operations.

Despite the widespread impact across key European hubs, neither Collins Aerospace nor airport authorities have provided a clear timeline for full service restoration, leaving passengers and carriers in continued uncertainty as the cyberattack underscores vulnerabilities in shared critical IT systems across the airline industry.

Based On ANI Report