Cyberattack on Major European Airports – Disruptions in Check-in and Boarding

On September 19, a cyberattack disrupted electronic check-in and boarding systems at several major European airports, causing flight delays and operational interruptions.

The first problems were reported at Brussels Airport, Berlin Brandenburg Airport, and London Heathrow, where passengers had to rely temporarily on manual registration and boarding. Other European airports continued operations without interruption.

According to Brussels Airport officials, the attack targeted a service provider that manages check-in and boarding systems, not the airlines or the airports themselves.

Collins Aerospace, which provides the MUSE (Multi-User System Environment) platform for self-service kiosks (used for boarding passes, baggage tags, and baggage drop-off), confirmed a “cyber degradation” that slowed operations at several airports.

By the afternoon, the situation had partially stabilized:

• In Brussels, 9 flights were canceled, 4 were diverted to other airports, and 15 were delayed by more than an hour.
• In Berlin Brandenburg, no flights were canceled for this specific reason, though risks remain.
• At Heathrow, disruptions were minimal; no cancellations occurred, but some delays were reported.

Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX Corp. (formerly Raytheon Technologies), said it is actively working to resolve the issue. They noted the impact was limited to electronic check-in and baggage drop-off systems, and manual operations were still possible.

At the same time, the website of St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport was taken offline by a hacking attack. However, officials reported that airport operations were unaffected and that specialists are working to restore the service.