A cyberattack targeting check-in and boarding system provider Collins Aerospace has caused widespread delays and cancellations at several major airports across Europe, including London Heathrow, Brussels Airport, and Berlin Brandenburg.
The disruption began late on Friday night, September 19, when attackers struck the systems of Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies), interrupting automated passenger processing and forcing a switch to manual check-ins at affected airports. The issue has significantly impacted airport operations through Saturday, with thousands of travelers facing long wait times and flight uncertainty.
Brussels Airport was among the first to confirm the incident, stating that the cyberattack on its external service provider had rendered electronic check-in and boarding systems inoperable. Airport authorities noted that “only manual check-in and boarding is possible,” warning of a “large impact on the flight schedule” and urging passengers to confirm their flight status before coming to the airport.
London Heathrow, one of Europe’s busiest international hubs, also acknowledged the technical problems, which they attributed to issues on Collins Aerospace’s end. While not referring directly to a cyberattack, Heathrow confirmed that delays were expected and asked passengers to arrive at the airport no more than three hours before long-haul flights or two hours before domestic departures. Additional staff were deployed to help manage passenger flow during the outage.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport issued a similar statement, citing longer waiting times at check-in due to an issue with a shared system provider operating across Europe. The airport said efforts were underway to resolve the situation swiftly.
Collins Aerospace is a major provider of aviation technology and infrastructure, supplying airlines and airports with mission-critical systems, including check-in platforms, gate management solutions, and boarding software. The company operates globally, and its technologies are integrated into airport operations at multiple international hubs. As part of RTX, one of the world’s largest aerospace and defense conglomerates, Collins plays a key role in both civil aviation and defense sectors.
As of Saturday afternoon, neither Collins Aerospace nor RTX has issued a public statement about the attack or confirmed the nature of the incident. CyberInsider reached out to RTX for comment, but has not received a response by the time of publication.
The nature of the disruption, impacting multiple airports simultaneously through a shared technology vendor, suggests a centralized system compromise, likely targeting cloud-based or networked infrastructure used across client airports. No specific ransomware group or attribution has been confirmed.
Leave a Reply