European Airport Operations Disrupted by Ransomware

Passengers across Europe are facing ongoing flight delays after a cyber-attack struck the company behind the check-in and boarding software used at many airports, with London Heathrow, Brussels, Dublin and Berlin reported as the worst hit since Friday. Automatic kiosks and bag-drop machines went offline, forcing airline staff to switch to manual processes, and at Brussels airport alone 40 departing flights and 23 arrivals were cancelled on Monday out of 277 scheduled services.

Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX, confirmed on Monday that it suffered a ransomware attack and said it is working with four affected airports and airline customers, with updates to restore full functionality in the final stages.

The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, according to European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), officially recognised the incident as a ransomware attack, while a Brussels airport spokesperson warned the system was not yet fully secure and a Heathrow spokesperson noted most flights were operating normally, although check-in and boarding could take longer. Analysts and airlines watched for signs of a widespread attack as shares in IAG, easyJet and Wizz Air dipped in early trading.