Cyberattack hits Heathrow and other European airports, disrupts check-in and flights

Heathrow airport

A cyberattack on a critical airline software provider has thrown major European airports into disarray, forcing delays, cancellations and manual check-ins at hubs including London Heathrow, Brussels, Berlin and Dublin.

According to a report by Reuters, Collins Aerospace, a unit of RTX, confirmed a “cyber-related disruption” to its MUSE check-in and boarding system on Saturday. The company did not disclose who was behind the attack but said the issue was limited to electronic check-in and baggage drop. Airlines have been reverting to manual processes, but passengers still face long queues and disruptions, as per the report.

Heathrow — Europe’s busiest airport — reported delays, with aviation data firm Cirium confirming 29 cancellations across Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin. Brussels Airport said 10 flights had already been cancelled with average delays of about an hour. Dublin and Cork airports also reported minor impact. Berlin Airport was working with Germany’s federal cybersecurity office (BSI), which cited “infrastructure disruptions” tied to the outage.

The incident adds to a growing pattern of cyber and ransomware attacks hitting critical infrastructure worldwide. From hospitals to defence contractors, attackers have increasingly targeted systems that can cause maximum disruption. In June, a breach at Jaguar Land Rover forced production to a halt.

Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre said it was working with Collins Aerospace and affected airports to assess the scale of the disruption. RTX stressed it was working to restore systems “as quickly as possible.”

For passengers, however, the reality on Saturday was hours-long waits, missed flights and crowded terminals — a reminder of how dependent air travel has become on fragile digital systems.