Cyberattack disrupts European airports including Heathrow, Brussels

Published September 20, 2025
Travellers wait at Brussels airport, after a cyberattack at a service provider for check-in and boarding systems disrupted operations at several major European airports, in Zaventem near Brussels, Belgium on September 20. — Reuters
Travellers wait at Brussels airport, after a cyberattack at a service provider for check-in and boarding systems disrupted operations at several major European airports, in Zaventem near Brussels, Belgium on September 20. — Reuters

A cyberattack on a provider of check-in and boarding systems has disrupted operations at several major European airports, including London’s Heathrow — the continent’s busiest — causing flight delays and cancellations on Saturday.

Collins Aerospace, which provides systems for several airlines at airports globally, is experiencing a technical issue that may cause delays for departing passengers, Heathrow Airport said, having warned of delays.

Brussels Airport and Berlin Airport were also affected by the attack, they said in separate statements.

RTX, Collins Aerospace’s parent company, said it had become aware of a “cyber-related disruption” to its software at selected airports, without naming them.

Electronic check-in affected

“The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations,” RTX said in an e-mailed statement, adding that it was working to fix the issue as quickly as possible.

The attack has rendered automated systems inoperable, allowing only manual check-in and boarding procedures, Brussels Airport said on its website, adding the incident had occurred on Friday night.

“This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cause delays and cancellations of flights…The service provider is actively working on the issue and trying to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.”

Passengers with a flight scheduled for Saturday were advised by the affected airports to confirm their travel with airlines before heading to the airport.

Frankfurt Airport not impacted

“Due to a technical issue at a system provider … there are longer waiting times at check-in. We are working on a quick solution,” Berlin Airport said in a banner on its website.

Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s largest, was not affected, a spokesperson said. An official from the operations control centre at Zurich Airport also said it had not been impacted.

EasyJet, among Europe’s biggest airlines, said it was currently operating as normal and did not expect the issue to impact its flights for the rest of the day. Other major airlines Ryanair and British Airways owner IAG did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

There were no indications of threats to Polish airports, Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said.

Opinion

Editorial

Unquiet Lebanon
Updated 21 Jun, 2026

Unquiet Lebanon

Either Israel must silence its guns and withdraw from all of Lebanon, or face isolation and boycott from the international community.
Mothers at risk
21 Jun, 2026

Mothers at risk

FOR years, efforts to reduce maternal deaths have focused heavily on postpartum haemorrhage — the severe bleeding...
Political budget
21 Jun, 2026

Political budget

THE KP budget does not read like a document of a province getting its fiscal house in order. Revenue is projected at...
Pakistan’s moment
Updated 20 Jun, 2026

Pakistan’s moment

Pakistan’s diplomats are second to none, and if these states seek to engage this country constructively, a new modus vivendi for the subcontinent can be reached.
Menacing water plans
20 Jun, 2026

Menacing water plans

IN April last year, India suspended the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty, which contains no provision allowing it to...
World Refugee Day
20 Jun, 2026

World Refugee Day

WORLD Refugee Day, observed today around the globe, marks 75 years since the adoption of the 1951 convention ...