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Air travelers are facing continued disruptions at several European airports, including Heathrow, following a cyberattack that impacted a check-in and baggage handling system.
Hundreds of flights experienced delays on Saturday as software utilized by multiple airlines encountered failures, forcing affected airports to revert to manual processing using pen and paper.
Brussels Airport stated that it has “no indication yet” regarding when the system will be fully restored and has requested airlines to cancel half of their departing flights scheduled for Monday.
RTX, the parent company of software provider Collins Aerospace, acknowledged a “cyber-related disruption” affecting its system at “select airports” and expressed its commitment to resolving the issue as quickly as possible.
The company identified its Muse software, which enables multiple airlines to share check-in desks and boarding gates at airports, as the system compromised in the incident.
While the company has yet to disclose the precise cause or estimated duration of the outage, it stated on Sunday that it will “provide details as soon as they are available”.
Brussels Airport confirmed that only manual check-in and boarding procedures are currently possible “due to a cyberattack against Collins Aerospace”.
The airport further indicated that disruptions would persist into Monday “because Collins Aerospace is not yet able to deliver a new secure version of the check-in system”.
Heathrow Airport stated on Sunday that efforts to address the issue were ongoing, but declined to confirm whether the incident constituted a cyberattack.
The airport apologized for the delays experienced by passengers, while emphasizing that “the vast majority of flights have continued to operate”. Passengers are urged to check their flight status before traveling to the airport and to allow ample time for processing.
Sources indicate that approximately half of the airlines operating from Heathrow had restored some form of online functionality by Sunday, including British Airways, which has been utilizing a backup system since Saturday.
A spokesperson for Berlin Airport informed the BBC that some airlines are still processing passengers manually and that there is no indication of when the electronic systems will be fully restored.
Data from flight data firm Cirium indicates that cancellations across Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels have already exceeded those of Saturday, although not all of these cancellations are attributed to the cyberattack.
Saturday saw hours-long queues, with approximately 47% of departing flights from Heathrow experiencing delays, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Additional staff were deployed in check-in areas to mitigate the impact of the disruptions.
By Sunday afternoon, FlightAware data indicated a reduction in the number of delayed flights from Heathrow compared to the previous day.
Virgin Atlantic, an operator at Heathrow, acknowledged “a technical issue impacting check-in systems at a number of airports including London Heathrow which may result in some delays to departures”.
The airline added that “currently all Virgin Atlantic flights are scheduled to depart as planned”.
Naomi Rowan, traveling from Sudbury in Suffolk to Costa Rica with her dog Dusty, is currently accommodated in a hotel after their Air France flight from Heathrow on Saturday was affected by the cyberattack.
She reported that staff were boarding passengers manually, but were unable to board Dusty without the electronic system.
“I had a cry, booked a hotel and managed to get through to Air France on WhatsApp, who say the next available flight for me is Monday,” she stated.
Eurocontrol, the European organization for air navigation safety, has requested airlines to cancel half of their flight schedules to and from the affected airport until 02:00 on Monday due to the ongoing disruptions.
Dublin Airport reported that while technical issues persist and some airlines continue to perform manual check-ins, it anticipates operating a full schedule on Sunday.
A spokesperson advised passengers to “contact their airline directly for updates on their flight.”
Dublin Airport previously stated that Cork Airport, also owned by the same parent company, experienced a “minor impact” from the cyberattack. However, Cork Airport has since reported no disruption, with all services operating normally.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport is advising travelers to utilize online or self-service check-in options while the outage continues.
The airport reported 12 cancellations on Saturday but indicated that delays were generally less than 45 minutes.
A National Cyber Security Centre spokesperson stated on Saturday that the agency is collaborating with Collins Aerospace, affected UK airports, the Department for Transport, and law enforcement to assess the full impact of the incident.
The European Commission, which plays a role in managing airspace across Europe, reported that it is “closely monitoring the cyber-attack” but that there is no indication it has been “widespread or severe”.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander also stated that she is aware of the incident and is “getting regular updates and monitoring the situation”.
In July, a global IT disruption caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike caused disruption to aviation, grounding flights across the US.
Analysts at the time highlighted the incident as an example of the industry’s vulnerability to issues with digital systems.
Additional reporting by Rozina Sini
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