MAJOR UK and European airports have been struck by a cyberattack – forcing airlines to delay and even cancel flights.
The attack reportedly targeted the check-in and boarding systems overnight, disrupting operations at Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin airports.
It crippled the automated systems, making them inoperable, according to Brussels Airport.
Airport staff are now forced to do manual check-in and boarding procedures, causing massive delays and even cancellations.
“This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cause delays and cancellations of flights,” the operator said in a statement published on its website.
“The service provider is actively working on the issue and trying to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.”
At least 10 flights were cancelled out of Brussels Airport and another 17 were delayed by over an hour after the systems were hit.
Passengers travelling today have been advised to arrive in plenty of time to allow for delays at check-in.
Authorities suggested that passengers should arrive two hours in advance for flights within the Schengen zone and three hours early for those travelling outside the area.
London Heathrow – Europe’s busiest airport – also warned of delays caused by “a technical issue” at a third-party supplier.
Derine, 19, told The Sun: “I just flew in from Malta. I’m meant to be flying to Ireland for University.
“There has not been much information about my next flight, but when we arrived, the plane just circled the runway about five times.
“We weren’t let off the plane for half an hour.”
Another traveller said: “I’m flying to Mumbai. My flight is meant to leave in half an hour but it was just delayed by an hour and a half.
“It doesn’t affect me much, but I feel sorry for all the families who are about to sit on a long flight.”
One mother who was travelling with her husband, son, kids and grandkids said: “We are all flying to see my son who lives in Canada.
“We haven’t seen him in over a year, so I really hope it’s not delayed. We’ve been checking our phones constantly this morning.”
A mother and son who were flying to Zanzibar said: “We’ve only been delayed about an hour, but it was a nightmare getting through security.
“There were huge queues, and the machines weren’t working, so everyone was just swarming the staff with iPads. It was chaos.”
A Heathrow spokesperson said: “Collins Aerospace, who provide check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports globally, is experiencing a technical issue, which may cause delays for departing passengers.
“While they are working to resolve the problem quickly, we advise passengers to check their flight status with their airline before travelling to the airport and arrive no earlier than 3 hours before a long-haul flight or two hours before a domestic flight.
“Additional colleagues are available in check-in areas to assist and minimise disruption. We apologise for any inconvenience.”
Meanwhile, Berlin airport said: “Due to a technical issue at a system provider operating across Europe, there are longer waiting times at check-in.
“We are working on a quick solution.”
RTX, the owner of Collins Aerospace, said it is aware of cyber-related disruption to its software.
“We are actively working to resolve the issue and restore full functionality to our customers as quickly as possible,” RTX said.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15222765/cyberattack-heathrow-european-airports/