Airports across Europe have experienced significant delays and cancellations following a cyber-attack on Collins Aerospace, the company responsible for check-in and boarding systems at several major hubs.

The incident, which began on Friday, affected operations at London Heathrow, Brussels, Berlin Brandenburg, and Dublin airports, forcing staff to revert to manual check-in procedures and leaving thousands of passengers facing long queues and uncertainty.

Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX, confirmed it was “aware of a cyber-related disruption to our MUSE software in select airports” and said it was “actively working to resolve the issue and restore full functionality to our customers as quickly as possible”. The company added that the impact was limited to electronic check-in and baggage drop, and could be mitigated with manual operations.

At Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport, a spokesperson said, “The vast majority of flights at Heathrow are operating as normal, although check-in and boarding for some flights may take slightly longer than usual. This system is not owned or operated by Heathrow, so while we cannot resolve the IT issue directly, we are supporting airlines and have additional colleagues in the terminals to assist passengers”.

Brussels Airport reported that 17 flights had been cancelled and four diverted, with airlines asked to cancel half their scheduled departures on Sunday. A spokesperson explained, “There was a cyber attack on Friday night, 19 September against the service provider for the check-in and boarding systems affecting several European airports including Brussels Airport. This means that at the moment only manual check-in and boarding is possible”.

Speculation has arisen regarding the source of the attack, with some politicians and experts suggesting Russian involvement, though no evidence has been presented. Anthony Glees, director of European studies at Brunel University, told The Sun, “No one can doubt that Putin's strategic planners are the beneficiaries here because they have been able to demonstrate they can attack our cyberspace with impunity and at will”. However, others have cautioned that it is too early to attribute responsibility.

As of Monday, Collins Aerospace stated it was in the final stages of completing updates to restore full service. Airports advised passengers to check flight statuses before travelling and to expect ongoing delays as operations return to normal.

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