Cyberattack Disrupts European Airports: Flights Delayed and Canceled

On Saturday, a cyberattack on Collins Aerospace disrupted check-in and boarding systems at several major European airports, including London's Heathrow. This incident caused significant flight delays and numerous cancellations, marking the latest occurrence in an escalating pattern of sophisticated cyberattacks impacting industries worldwide.

The airports affected included Brussels, Berlin, Dublin, and Cork. Collins Aerospace's parent company, RTX, confirmed the cyber-related disruption to its MUSE software, affecting electronic customer check-in and baggage drop systems. Manual check-in operations were temporarily adopted to mitigate the impact, while investigations into the attack's origins continued.

Aviation data from Cirium highlighted 29 cancellations at Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels, with airport websites reporting extensive delays. As authorities, including Britain's National Cyber Security Centre, work to understand the full impact, the incident underscores the vulnerability of digital infrastructure in the aviation sector, presenting efficiency as a potential point of failure.

(With inputs from agencies.)