European airports work to recover from cyberattack on check-in systems

On Monday, airports across Europe continued to experience delays after a cyberattack disrupted automated check-in systems from Collins Aerospace, a division of RTX Corporation. The attack began on Friday, causing flight disruptions and impacting thousands of travelers, according to Reuters.

ENISA, the EU cybersecurity agency, confirmed that the disruptions were caused by a cyberattack and stated that law enforcement had launched an investigation. Although ENISA did not disclose the origin of the attack, the event is part of a larger pattern, as similar incidents have hit European companies in recent months, including Jaguar Land Rover, which was forced to halt production after a ransomware strike.

As airports worked to respond, Collins Aerospace stated that it is collaborating with the affected airports and is nearly finished updating systems to return to normal operations. Specific airports reported varying impacts. London Heathrow, the busiest airport in Europe, experienced problems, and Brussels Airport canceled approximately 60 out of 550 flights on Monday, utilizing iPads and laptops to check in passengers.

Elsewhere in Europe, Berlin Airport, already handling heavier traffic because of the Berlin Marathon, continued to operate without its automated systems, causing departure delays of more than an hour and forcing staff to issue handwritten boarding passes. Dublin Airport, meanwhile, reported only minimal impact, thanks to backup manual procedures.