Cyberattack on Check-In Systems Disrupts Europe’s Airports, Exposes Weak Spots in Travel Infrastructure
A major aviation service provider has been thrown into air travel disarray across Europe, disrupting check-in and boarding systems at various airports. This cyber-attack targeted a third-party provider of check-in and boarding systems, causing widespread disruptions including delays and cancellations at several major European airports, such as Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin. The attack has rendered automated systems inoperable, forcing airports to rely on manual procedures and highlighting vulnerabilities in the travel industry’s digital infrastructure. Airport operators are working with the affected service provider to resolve the issue as quickly as possible
Brussels Airport, where staff reverted to pen-and-paper check-ins, described the impact on flight schedules as large. Similar outages rippled through Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport and London’s Heathrow, Europe’s busiest hub. The target, Collins Aerospace, provides passenger handling systems for airlines worldwide, underscoring the global vulnerability of critical travel infrastructure.
To passengers, the fallout was immediate: families stranded at terminals, business travelers missing connections, and staff scrambling to manage long lines. “It felt like stepping back 20 years,” a traveler in Brussels sounded, after waiting nearly three hours to check in manually.
Behind the scenes, investors and industry analysts are weighing bigger questions. The disruption not only highlights the rising costs of cyber risks for aviation but also raises concerns about the concentration of key digital systems in the hands of a few providers. Airlines and airports, already under pressure from thin margins and high fuel costs, may face new demands to diversify technology partners or invest more heavily in cybersecurity safeguards.
Governments and regulators would see the attack as a stress test of Europe’s travel resilience, noting a reminder that even in the age of digital transformation, one weak link can send shockwaves through the continent’s busiest skies.
