Travel Chaos Hits Heathrow and Major European Airports After Cyberattack
Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin Grounded by Tech Failure
Passengers faced mayhem at Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin airports over the weekend. A “technical issue” with Collins Aerospace’s systems triggered widespread flight disruptions starting Friday night. Airlines had to switch to manual check-in, causing long queues, delays, and cancellations.
Heathrow Terminal 4 Hit Hard
Heathrow’s Terminal 4 was a nightmare for travellers, with seven flights cancelled and 18 more delayed into Sunday. British Airways at Terminal 5 escaped the chaos, running as usual. Heathrow urged passengers to check flight statuses before travelling.
“Work continues to resolve and recover from Friday’s outage of a Collins Aerospace airline system that impacted check-in. We apologise to those who have faced delays, but by working together with airlines, the vast majority of flights have continued to operate.”
They advised travellers to arrive only three hours before long-haul and two hours before short-haul flights to avoid the queues.
Cyberattack Blamed on Collins Aerospace’s Systems
Brussels Airport revealed the disruption was caused by a cyberattack on Collins Aerospace’s check-in and boarding systems. This attack rattled key European airports, forcing cancellations and delays.
“The service provider is actively working on the issue and trying to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will, unfortunately, cause delays and cancellations of flights.”
Berlin Airport also warned travellers of longer check-in times as the glitch slowed operations.
Collins Aerospace Scrambles to Fix Software Issue
Collins Aerospace confirmed their Muse software suffered a cyber-related disruption on Saturday. This affected electronic check-in and baggage drop, forcing airlines to revert to manual handling.
“We are actively working to resolve the issue and restore full functionality to our customers as quickly as possible.”
European Commission Steps In, Urges Calm
The European Commission is closely monitoring the situation but insists the cyberattack is contained and not severe.
“While passengers are facing disruption, aviation safety and air traffic control remain unaffected. We are working with EUROCONTROL, ENISA, airports and airlines to restore operations and support passengers.”
Travel chaos should ease soon, but Brits flying across Europe are urged to stay alert and check flight updates before setting off.
