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Hundreds of flights delayed at Heathrow and other airports after apparentcyberattack
A cyberattack impacted major European airports, including Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin, leading to significant delays as airlines reverted to manual check-ins. Collins Aerospace, whose systems were affected, reported over 130 delayed flights at Heathrow alone. Airports advised travelers to arrive earlier than usual due to the chaos caused by the incident.
Key points
- Collins Aerospace experienced a cyber-related incident affecting check-in technology.
- Airlines had to switch to manual check-in procedures due to the outage.
- At Heathrow, over 130 flights were delayed and 13 were canceled on Saturday.
- Heathrow's social media stated they were working to resolve the issue and apologized for the delays.
- Airports recommended travelers arrive three hours early for long-haul flights and two hours for short-haul flights.
Why it matters
- Cyberattacks on critical infrastructure have become more common, influencing the IT landscape.
- The incident reflects ongoing trends in cybersecurity where operational disruptions in transportation can have widespread implications.
- This highlights the increasing importance of resilient IT systems in the aviation sector, echoing overall 2025 IT priorities focusing on cybersecurity.
The incident reveals vulnerabilities in airport IT systems and emphasizes the need for robust cybersecurity measures as disruptions could affect travel plans significantly.