Major European airports including London’s Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin, were affected on Saturday after cyberattack targeting check-in and boarding systems disrupted air traffic and caused delays.
Brussels Airport said the cyberattack disrupted automated systems, allowing only manual check-in and boarding procedures. Even though it was not immediately clear who might be behind the cyberattack, but experts claimed that it could be hackers, criminal organizations, or state actors, AP reported.
London’s Heathrow, Europe’s busiest hub, warned that the issues at Collins Aerospace may delay departures, according to a post on X.
The disruption is the latest in a string of hacks targeting governments and companies. A few weeks ago, breach at luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover brought its production to a halt.
Here are the key points
— The cyberattacks did not directly hit the airports or airlines but rather a service provider for check-in and boarding systems. London’s Heathrow, Berlin and some other airports in Europe are grappling with operational disruptions.
— The attack targeted Collins Aerospace, whose systems help passengers check themselves in, print boarding passes and bag tags and dispatch luggage of the customers from a kiosk. They later announced a “cyber-related disruption” to its MUSE (Multi-User System Environment) software at select airports.
— The disruptions caused by the manual processes led to flight delays and some cancellations. At Heathrow, Berlin and Brussels, 29 departures and arrivals have been cancelled so far, aviation data provider Cirium said. In total, 651 departures were scheduled from Heathrow, 228 from Brussels and 226 from Berlin on Saturday, reported AP.
— The passengers who had a flight scheduled for Saturday, September 20 were advised by the affected airports to check the status of their flight with their airlines before heading to the airport.
— Berlin Airport said on its website that there were longer waiting times at check-in and it was working on a quick solution.
— Indian airports did not face any impact due to the cyber attack on systems used at various European airports, reported PTI quoting a senior government official.
— Delhi Airport issued advisory saying, “Due to cyberattacks impacting European airports, including London Heathrow, Europe-bound flights to and from Delhi Airport may experience some disruptions. Passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight updates”
— Brussels Airport has asked airlines to cancel half of the scheduled departing flights on Sunday 21 September in order to avoid long queues and late cancellations, reported Reuters quoting a spokesperson for the Belgian airport said.
— A European Commission spokesperson said there were currently no indications of a “widespread or severe attack” and that the origin of the incident was still under investigation.
— Air India said that a third-party passenger system disruption at Heathrow may cause delays in the check-in process.
“Our ground teams in London are working to minimise inconvenience. Passengers flying with us from London today are advised to complete their web check-in before arriving at the airport to help ensure a smooth experience,” said the airline in a post on X.
