Heathrow Airport Delays: Cyberattack Disrupts Flights

Disruptions at European Airports Due to Cyber Incident

Significant travel disruptions were experienced at several key European airports over the weekend. These included major hubs such as Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin.

The issues stemmed from a “cyber-related incident” impacting systems operated by Collins Aerospace, a leading provider of airline technology.

Impact on Airline Operations

Collins Aerospace develops essential technology utilized at airline check-in desks. Following the suspected cyberattack, airlines were compelled to switch to manual check-in procedures.

Data from Flightradar24 indicated that, as of Sunday morning, over 130 flights at Heathrow Airport were delayed by at least 20 minutes.

Furthermore, 13 flights were canceled at Heathrow on Saturday as a direct consequence of the system outage.

Airport Response and Recommendations

Heathrow Airport acknowledged the disruption via its official social media channels. They stated that efforts to resolve the outage of the Collins Aerospace system, which began on Friday, were ongoing.

Heathrow issued an apology to passengers affected by the delays, highlighting the collaborative work with airlines to maintain the operation of the majority of flights.

To mitigate potential issues, Heathrow, along with other impacted airports, is advising passengers to arrive significantly earlier than usual.

• For long-haul flights, a minimum arrival time of three hours before departure is recommended.
• Passengers traveling on short-haul flights should arrive at least two hours prior to their scheduled departure.

The situation underscores the vulnerability of critical airport infrastructure to cyber threats and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures.