Cyberattack causes severe delays at Heathrow, Brussels and other European airports

Travellers at Brussels airport after a cyberattack disrupted operations, Belgium 20 September, 2025.
Reuters

Passengers were left stranded at Europe’s major airports after a cyberattack targeted check-in and boarding systems on Friday, airport authorities say.

Brussels airport London Heathrow and Berlin’s Brandenburg airport were among those affected with manual check-in and boarding causing delays after the incident. 

“There was a cyberattack on Friday night 19 September against the service provider for the check-in and boarding systems affecting several European airports including Brussels Airport,” the airport said in a statement.

Authorities at Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport said a service provider for passenger handling systems was attacked on Friday evening, prompting airport operators to cut off connections to the systems.

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, London's Heathrow Airport said on Saturday, having warned of delays.

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

Collins Aerospace's parent, was not immediately available for comment outside of U.S. business hours.

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 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.

The Roissy, Orly and Le Bourget in the Paris were also part of the airports who did not report any disruptions and operated as normal.

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