Major European airports hit by cyberattack, forcing manual check-ins

A cyberattack targeting a service provider shut down electronic check-in and boarding systems across several of Europe’s major airports on Saturday, including Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin.

The disruption forced airports to revert to manual systems, delaying flights and cancelling some schedules as Collins Aerospace worked on restoring services.

The attack struck late on Friday night, affecting the MUSE (Multi-User System Environment) platform operated by Collins Aerospace. The systems impacted include electronic baggage drops, boarding pass kiosks, and other digital tools used by airlines and airports for passenger handling. 

Brussels airport reported some of the worst effects, with nine flights cancelled, several delayed by more than an hour, and four diverted. Berlin’s Brandenburg also suffered long queues and wait times, although the airport said no cancellations had yet been linked directly to the attack at that stage. 

Heathrow warned passengers to check their flight status before travelling and said although delays were expected, the disruption there was “minimal” compared to other airports. Airports Dublin and Cork in Ireland reported minor impact while others in Paris (Roissy, Orly, Le Bourget) were not affected. 

Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX, confirmed it was dealing with a “cyber-related disruption” of its systems at select sites, and said manual check-in and baggage drop could be used to mitigate the impact while fix-ups continue. 

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