Cyberattack disrupts European airports including Heathrow, Brussels; SIA flights unaffected

BRUSSELS: A cyberattack on a provider of check-in and boarding systems has disrupted operations at several major European airports including London’s Heathrow, the continent’s busiest, cautilizing flight delays and cancellations on Saturday (Sep 20).

Collins Aerospace, which provides systems for several airlines at airports globally, is experiencing a technical issue that may cautilize delays for departing passengers, Heathrow Airport stated, having warned of delays.

Brussels Airport and Berlin Airport were also affected by the attack, they stated in separate statements.

RTX, Collins Aerospace’s parent, stated it had become aware of a “cyber-related disruption” to its software in select airports, without naming them.

“The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations,” the company stated in an emailed statement, adding that it was working to repair the issue as quickly as possible.

The attack has rfinishered automated systems inoperable, allowing only manual check-in and boarding procedures, Brussels Airport stated on its website, adding the incident had occurred on Friday night.

“This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cautilize delays and cancellations of flights …The service provider is actively working on the issue and attempting to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.”

Passengers with a flight scheduled for Saturday were advised by the affected airports to confirm their travel with airlines before heading to the airport.

“Due to a technical issue at a system provider … there are longer waiting times at check-in. We are working on a quick solution,” Berlin Airport stated in a banner on its website.

A Singapore Airlines (SIA) spokesperson notified CNA that it is aware of the cyberattack, and that all its flights to and from Europe are “operating as scheduled” as of 6.30pm Singapore time.

The carrier stated that it had informed passengers to arrive earlier at affected airports to allow for sufficient check-in time.

“We will continue to monitor the situation, coordinate with our partners, and adjust our flights if necessary,” SIA added.

Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s largest, was not affected, a spokesperson stated. An official from the operations control centre at Zurich Airport also stated it had not been impacted.

EasyJet, among Europe’s largegest airlines, stated it was currently operating as normal and did not expect the issue to impact its flights for the rest of the day.

Other major airlines Ryanair and British Airways owner IAG did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

There were no indications of threats to Polish airports, deputy prime minister and digital affairs minister Krzysztof Gawkowski stated.

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