A major European airports cyberattack disrupted check-in and boarding systems on Saturday, forcing airlines to rely on manual processes. The outage caused delays and cancellations at London’s Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin airports.
Heathrow Airport confirmed the disruption, citing technical issues at Collins Aerospace, a unit of RTX. The company said it was working quickly to restore its systems. Brussels Airport explained that the attack disabled automated check-in and baggage systems, leaving staff to process passengers manually.
Brussels Airport reported 10 cancellations and an average one-hour delay on departing flights. Berlin Airport also warned of longer waiting times as check-in lines grew. Frankfurt and Zurich airports said they had not been affected.
Delta Air Lines said its flights faced minimal impact because it activated a backup system. EasyJet confirmed its schedule remained normal, while Ryanair and British Airways did not issue updates.
British transport minister Heidi Alexander noted she was receiving regular situation reports. Poland’s deputy prime minister, Krzysztof Gawkowski, said there was no sign of risk to Polish airports.
The European airports cyberattack highlights how dependent air travel has become on digital systems. A single disruption can ground flights, delay schedules, and frustrate passengers across the continent.
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