Home Innovation Aviation and Aerospace Cyberattack disrupts major Eur...

Cyberattack disrupts major European airports, causing delays and cancellations.

Aviation and Aerospace

BusinessHonor - Airport Cyberattack Halts Flights

Business Honor
25 September, 2025

Major cyberattack hits Collins Aerospace, causing widespread flight delays across Europe.

A significant cyberattack on US aviation technology company Collins Aerospace has resulted in devastating disruptions at some of Europe's busiest airports. The attack disabled automated check-in and bag-drop systems, causing extensive flight delays and cancellations. Airports like London Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin were worst affected by the cyberattack, with thousands of passengers delayed for hours. Reports indicate that Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest airport, had 651 departures planned for the day but, many were disrupted due to the failure of electronic check-in systems. Brussels Airport also experienced widespread delays, with average waiting times of one hour for outgoing flights and 10 cancelled flights. Berlin's airport also suffered from similar delays.

Collins Aerospace, owned by defense contractor RTX, verified the cyberattack, which affected its software programs utilized by airports for check-in as well as baggage handling. Even though the company guaranteed that the issue could be handled manually, the downtime resulted in significant slowdowns at impacted airports. Passengers had to manually check in, resulting in delayed procedures and long lines. Besides the main airports, minor airports in Dublin and Cork, Ireland, also experienced some effect, although the disruption was not as bad. The total number of canceled flight departures and arrivals at the impacted airports was 29 by the afternoon. As the situation remains ongoing, travelers are encouraged to remain informed about their flight status and anticipate longer lines for check-in. Passengers are being asked to contact their airlines for the most current information prior to arriving at the airport. Airports and airlines are attempting to bring systems back online as quickly as possible, but the cyberattack has exposed vulnerabilities of the aviation sector to cyber threats.