Heathrow was among several European airports hit by delays on Saturday after a cyber-attack affecting an electronic check-in and baggage system. The airport said a number of flights were delayed as a 'technical issue' impacted software provided to several airlines. Brussels Airport said a cyber-attack on Friday night meant passengers were being checked in and boarded manually, and Berlin's Brandenburg Airport reported longer waiting times due to the problem. RTX, which owns software provider Collins Aerospace, said it was 'aware of a cyber-related disruption' to its system in 'select airports' and that it was working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
The company added: 'The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations.' It said its Muse software - which allows different airlines to use the same check-in desks and boarding gates at an airport, rather than requiring their own - had been affected. The BBC understands that British Airways is operating as normal using a back-up system, but most other airlines operating from Heathrow have been affected. Shortly before midnight on Saturday, Heathrow said it was continuing to 'resolve and recover' from the outage. It apologised to those who had faced delays but stressed that 'the vast majority of flights have continued to operate'. A National Cyber Security Centre spokesperson said it was working with Collins Aerospace, affected UK airports, the Department for Transport and law enforcement to fully understand the impact of the incident. The European Commission said it was 'closely monitoring the cyber-attack' but noted there was no indication of it being 'widespread or severe'.
Hundreds of flights were delayed at the airports throughout Saturday, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Dublin and Cork Airports reported a 'minor impact' from the cyber-attack, with some airlines implementing manual check-in processes. Passengers described long wait times, with reports of manual tagging for luggage and confusion at boarding gates. EasyJet and Ryanair, which do not operate out of Heathrow but are among Europe's biggest airlines, said they were operating as normal.
Despite difficulties, Heathrow urged passengers to check their flight status and delayed their anticipated arrival times at the airport. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is monitoring the situation closely, and additional airport staff were deployed to assist travelers. While rumors swirl about the nature of the attack and possible overseas involvement, the exact motives and perpetrators remain unclear.
The company added: 'The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations.' It said its Muse software - which allows different airlines to use the same check-in desks and boarding gates at an airport, rather than requiring their own - had been affected. The BBC understands that British Airways is operating as normal using a back-up system, but most other airlines operating from Heathrow have been affected. Shortly before midnight on Saturday, Heathrow said it was continuing to 'resolve and recover' from the outage. It apologised to those who had faced delays but stressed that 'the vast majority of flights have continued to operate'. A National Cyber Security Centre spokesperson said it was working with Collins Aerospace, affected UK airports, the Department for Transport and law enforcement to fully understand the impact of the incident. The European Commission said it was 'closely monitoring the cyber-attack' but noted there was no indication of it being 'widespread or severe'.
Hundreds of flights were delayed at the airports throughout Saturday, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Dublin and Cork Airports reported a 'minor impact' from the cyber-attack, with some airlines implementing manual check-in processes. Passengers described long wait times, with reports of manual tagging for luggage and confusion at boarding gates. EasyJet and Ryanair, which do not operate out of Heathrow but are among Europe's biggest airlines, said they were operating as normal.
Despite difficulties, Heathrow urged passengers to check their flight status and delayed their anticipated arrival times at the airport. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is monitoring the situation closely, and additional airport staff were deployed to assist travelers. While rumors swirl about the nature of the attack and possible overseas involvement, the exact motives and perpetrators remain unclear.
