Airport Systems Disrupted by Pen-and-Paper Check-ins Due to Cyber Attack
European airports are facing disruptions due to a cyber attack that has affected an airport check-in and boarding company, causing delays and cancellations at several airports.
The attack, which was confirmed by Collins Aerospace, a US company active in various areas of aerospace technology, has impacted electronic check-in and baggage drop-off systems at airports in Berlin, Brussels, Dublin, and London Heathrow.
At Berlin Airport, no flights have been canceled yet, but delays may accumulate throughout the day, potentially leading to cancellations in the evening. The airport has cut connections to its systems due to the cyber attack, and passengers are currently being processed using paper lists and pens.
Brussels Airport has reportedly asked Eurocontrol to cancel half of all planned departures until Monday morning, with 14 flights already canceled and average delays of one hour for departing flights. Check-in lines at Brussels Airport are longer than usual due to the IT issues.
In London Heathrow, over 140 flight delays were recorded up to midday, and the airport has stated that delays may occur due to technical problems affecting departing passengers.
Dublin Airport, on the other hand, has reported only minor impacts. One of the two terminals at Dublin Airport was evacuated in the morning due to security reasons, but the Europe-wide software problem is only causing minor impacts in Dublin.
At Brussels Airport, there were over 100 flight delays, and in Berlin, 62 flight delays were recorded.
Collins Aerospace, the company behind the cyberattack, is a US company active in various areas of aerospace technology, including manufacturing components for the aviation industry, developing systems for military applications, and being involved in space technology. The impact of the malfunction is limited to electronic check-in and baggage drop-off and can be mitigated by manual check-in procedures.
It is unclear how long the outage will last, but airports are working to manage the disruptions and get flights back to normal as soon as possible. Passengers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport and to allow extra time for check-in and security procedures.
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