Cyberattack Hits European Airports; Flights Delayed As Check-In Systems Disrupted At Heathrow, Brussels

<p>A cyberattack on check-in and boarding systems has caused flight delays and disrupted operations at several major European airports, officials reported Saturday.</p>
<p>Brussels Airport said the breach forced staff to handle check-ins and boarding manually, significantly affecting flight schedules.</p>
<p>&ldquo;There was a cyberattack on Friday night, September 19, targeting the service provider for check-in and boarding systems, impacting multiple European airports, including Brussels,&rdquo; the airport said in a statement.</p>
<p>Berlin&rsquo;s Brandenburg Airport also reported that its passenger handling service provider was attacked on Friday evening, forcing operators to disconnect from the systems.</p>
<p>London Heathrow, Europe&rsquo;s busiest airport, described the issue as &ldquo;a technical problem&rdquo; affecting a check-in and boarding service provider.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Collins Aerospace, which supplies check-in and boarding systems to several airlines across multiple airports worldwide, is experiencing a technical issue that may result in delays for departing passengers,&rdquo; Heathrow said.</p>
<p>While the provider works to resolve the problem quickly, we advise passengers to check their flight status with their airline before travelling. Please arrive no earlier than three hours before a long-haul flight or two hours before a domestic flight. Additional colleagues are available in check-in areas to assist and help minimise disruption.<br />&nbsp;<br />We apologise for any inconvenience, the post added.&nbsp;</p>
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<p dir=”ltr” lang=”en”>Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports globally, is experiencing a technical issue that may cause delays for departing passengers.<br /><br />While the provider works to resolve the problem quickly, we advise&hellip; <a href=”https://t.co/f68e9CbIlu”>pic.twitter.com/f68e9CbIlu</a></p>
&mdash; Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) <a href=”https://twitter.com/HeathrowAirport/status/1969303324995334328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>September 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<p>Airports urged travelers to confirm their flight status and apologized for any inconvenience.</p>
<p>Collins Aerospace, a US-based aviation and defense technology firm founded in 2018 and a subsidiary of RTX Corp. (formerly Raytheon Technologies), provides the technology that allows passengers to check in, print boarding passes and bag tags, and dispatch luggage from kiosks, though it doesn&rsquo;t manage direct check-ins itself.</p>
<p>No comment was immediately available from Collins&rsquo; U.K. office near London Gatwick, the country&rsquo;s second-busiest airport.</p>
<p>Some airports were unaffected; Paris-area airports including Roissy, Orly, and Le Bourget reported no disruptions.</p>