A cyberattack on a provider of check-in and boarding systems has disrupted operations at several major European airports, including London’s Heathrow, the continent’s busiest, causing flight delays and cancellations on Saturday.
Collins Aerospace, which provides systems for passengers to check themselves in, print boarding passes and bag tags and dispatch their luggage from a kiosk, cited a “cyber-related disruption” to its MUSE (Multi-User System Environment) software at “select airports.”
Collins Aerospace experienced a technical issue that may cause delays for departing passengers, Heathrow Airport said, having warned of delays.
Brussels Airport and Berlin Airport were also affected by the attack, they said in separate statements.
RTX, Collins Aerospace’s parent company, said it had become aware of a “cyber-related disruption” to its software at selected airports, without naming them.
“The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations,” RTX said in an emailed statement, adding that it was working to fix the issue as quickly as possible.
The attack has rendered automated systems inoperable, allowing only manual check-in and boarding procedures, Brussels Airport said on its website, adding the incident had occurred on Friday night.