European airports paralyzed by cyberattack, disruptions continue!

A cyberattack on a provider of check-in and boarding systems disrupted operations at several major European airports on Saturday, including London's Heathrow Airport — the continent's busiest — causing delays and flight cancellations.

The incident was one of a series of hacking attacks on governments and companies around the world, affecting industries from healthcare and defense to retail and automotive.

The problems on Saturday were linked to Collins Aerospace's MUSE software, which is used by airlines at airports around the world, the airports said. RTX's parent company said it was aware of the software malfunctioning at some airports, without specifying which ones.

Heathrow confirmed it was affected. Brussels and Berlin airports also reported disruptions. Dublin Airport later said it was only slightly affected, as did Ireland's second-largest airport, Cork.

ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION UNDER THREAT

“The outage is limited to electronic passenger check-in and baggage drop-off, and can be compensated for by manual check-in,” RTX said, adding that they are working to resolve the issue quickly.

The company did not say who was behind the attack.

According to aviation analytics provider Cirium, 29 departures and arrivals were cancelled at Heathrow, Berlin and Brussels. In total, there were 651 departures from Heathrow, 228 from Brussels and 226 from Berlin scheduled for Saturday.

Brussels reported four forced landings, as well as “delays to most departing flights.” Brussels Airport urged airlines to cancel half of their scheduled departures for Sunday to avoid long lines and late cancellations, indicating disruptions could continue at least through the weekend.


Consultation on any issues

A European Commission spokesman said there were currently no signs of a “large-scale or serious attack” and the origins of the incident were still being investigated. Such disruptions are typically caused by ransomware attacks, where attackers paralyze corporate networks in the hope of ransom, or by targeted digital sabotage. Rafe Pilling, director of cyber threats at Sophos, said the incident highlighted “the fragility and interdependence of the digital ecosystem that underpins air travel.”

"We have already seen a significant impact on retail and now the UK car industry this year," he said. "The threat is serious and very real."

Airports advised passengers with flights on Saturday to check the status with their airlines before travelling. Berlin airport reported on its website that there were long lines at check-in and said it was working on a quick solution. Frankfurt airport, Germany's largest, was not affected, a spokesman said.

EasyJet, one of Europe's largest airlines, said it was operating as normal and did not expect any disruption to flights during the day. Ryanair and British Airways owner IAG did not comment.

US carrier Delta Air Lines said it expected minimal impact as it had implemented a workaround to reduce disruptions. United Airlines said the issue "caused minor departure delays" but no flights were canceled.

UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was receiving regular updates on the situation, and British and German cyber security authorities said they were in contact with their airports about the issue.

The situation remains dynamic; please follow official announcements and updates.

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