A cyberattack on Collins Aerospace’s technology caused interruptions in passenger services at several major European airports on Saturday, leading to delays and cancellations.
The cyber intrusion targeted Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX that provides critical software used by airlines and airports worldwide. Heathrow Airport, London’s busiest, confirmed that technical difficulties with Collins Aerospace’s platform halted normal check-in and boarding processes. Similarly, Brussels and Berlin airports experienced operational setbacks, forcing their staff to switch from automated to manual systems.
Brussels Airport reported the incident began Friday night, rendering self-service check-in and baggage handling unavailable, which severely impacted flight schedules. Berlin Airport warned travelers to expect extended waiting times as efforts to restore systems continued.
RTX, the parent firm, acknowledged the digital disruption in a statement, describing it as a cyber-related issue localized at select airports, primarily affecting electronic customer check-in and bag drop procedures. The company assured quick remedial action while noting manual alternatives were mitigating the fallout.
Notably, Frankfurt and Zurich airports were unaffected by the breach. Among airlines, EasyJet confirmed normal operations without anticipating weekend disturbances, while Ryanair and British Airways were yet to comment. Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister for Digital Affairs reassured that Polish airports remained secure from this incident.
Passengers using affected hubs received advice to verify their flight status directly with airlines ahead of travel, as delays and cancellations were expected until full system recovery.
