Cyberattack disrupts major European airports' check-in systems
- A cyberattack affected the essential check-in and boarding systems provided by Collins Aerospace.
- Passengers at major European airports faced extensive delays and were often required to check in manually.
- The incident highlights increasing vulnerabilities within the aviation industry's reliance on shared digital systems.
On September 19, 2025, a significant cyberattack targeted Collins Aerospace, a U.S.-based technology provider responsible for check-in and boarding systems. This breach had a pronounced effect on several major European airports, including London's Heathrow, Berlin's Brandenburg, and Brussels Airport. The incident caused widespread disruptions, with only manual check-in and boarding being available due to the compromised electronic systems. Although Paris reported no outages, passengers at affected airports faced long queues and flight delays as airport operators struggled to manage the situation without automated assistance. By mid-morning on September 20, the impact continued to unfold, with Brussels Airport confirming that nine flights had been canceled, and others faced significant delays. Heathrow Airport, the busiest in Europe, reported that the disruption was minimal, yet still notable, as airport staff scrambled to manually process passengers. The repercussions of the cyberattack raised concerns within the aviation sector about vulnerabilities existing in shared digital infrastructure. Experts highlighted the potential motivations behind the attack, suggesting it might have been an act of vandalism rather than extortion. As investigators worked to determine the origin of the breach, discussions about cybersecurity in the aviation industry intensified. Analysts cautioned that the interconnected nature of the industry makes it a prime target for cybercriminals who can exploit vulnerabilities within third-party systems to achieve widespread disruption. By September 21, while slight progress had been made towards restoring normal operations at the affected airports, concerns about the security of digital systems remained at the forefront. Airport officials assured passengers that measures were being taken to mitigate disruptions and that most flights had resumed. The concern for aviation cybersecurity has become increasingly pertinent, and this event may spur future discussions about strengthening defenses against such attacks to ensure safer air travel for all.