A major cyberattack on a popular aviation software provider has caused significant disruptions at key European airports, including London’s Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin, resulting in hundreds of flight delays and cancellations on Saturday.
The attack disabled electronic check-in and baggage drop systems, forcing airport staff to revert to manual processing and leaving thousands of passengers stranded in long queues.
The disruption stemmed from a “cyber-related disruption” that targeted Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies), reports BBC.
The company’s Muse software, which allows multiple airlines to share common check-in desks, boarding gates, and baggage systems, was rendered inoperable.
In response, airports were forced to disconnect from the affected systems and handle passenger processing manually, resulting in significant operational slowdowns.
Brussels Airport reported the attack occurred on Friday night, leading to a “large impact on the flight schedule” with numerous delays and cancellations. Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport also confirmed longer waiting times, while Dublin and Cork airports in Ireland experienced a “minor impact,” with some airlines resorting to manual check-ins.
The technical failure translated into chaos for travelers. At Heathrow’s Terminal 4, passengers reported waiting in queues for over two hours as airline staff manually tagged luggage and processed check-ins over the phone.
One passenger, Lucy Spencer, told the BBC that mobile boarding passes failed to work at the gate, forcing travelers back to the check-in counters where hundreds were already queuing.
RTX confirmed the cyberattack on its Collins Aerospace software at “select airports” and stated the impact was limited to “electronic customer check-in and baggage drop”.
The company highlighted that the disruption could be mitigated with manual check-in procedures and that its teams were “actively working to resolve the issue and restore full functionality”.
In the meantime, affected airports like Heathrow deployed extra staff to assist passengers and advised travelers to check their flight status with their respective airlines before heading to the airport.
According to flight tracking service FlightAware, hundreds of flights were delayed across the affected airports throughout Saturday, with Brussels Airport alone confirming 10 cancellations and 17 flights delayed by more than an hour.
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