Cyberattack disrupts check-in systems at Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin

A cyberattack targeting a service provider for airline check-in and boarding systems disrupted operations at several European airports on Saturday, including London’s Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin. The outage affected electronic check-in and baggage-drop functions, forcing airlines to shift to manual processing in many cases and prompting some flight delays and cancellations. The provider behind the service is Collins Aerospace, a unit of RTX Corp.

Heathrow said the issue could lead to delays and urged passengers to check their flight status with their airline and to arrive no earlier than three hours before a long-haul flight or two hours for a domestic flight. Brussels Airport said passengers were being checked in and boarded manually due to the disruption, while Berlin Brandenburg Airport reported longer waiting times amid a system-wide issue affecting a provider operating across Europe. The disruptions affected several airlines that rely on Collins Aerospace systems for check-in and boarding.

European air-traffic authorities noted a broad impact, with Eurocontrol saying operators had been asked to cancel about half of their flights to and from the affected airports between 04:00 and 12:00 GMT as airports worked to restore automated processes. By 10:00 BST on Saturday, FlightAware tracked nearly 100 delays at Heathrow, about 70 at Brussels and roughly 15 at Berlin, underscoring the operational ripple effects across multiple hubs.

RTX, Collins Aerospace’s parent company, said it was aware of a cyber-related disruption to its system in select airports and that it was working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. The company stressed that the impact is limited to electronic check-in and baggage drop and that it can be mitigated through manual check-in operations, with Heathrow noting that additional staff were deployed to assist in check-in areas.

Frankfurt Airport—the largest in Germany—said it was not affected, and Zurich Airport officials said they had not seen an impact either, highlighting that the disruption was not uniform across Europe. Brussels’ statement warned of a “large impact on the flight schedule,” including several cancellations, while Berlin’s airport network indicated ongoing delays as technicians worked to restore services. Airports and airlines urged travelers to verify status with their carriers and to allow extra time at checkpoints as the issue persisted.

The incident underscores the fragility of automated passenger-handling systems that rely on third-party service providers, with authorities emphasizing the need for rapid restoration and continuity measures while shoring up manual procedures. Investigations into the root cause were not immediately disclosed, and aviation officials said systems would remain under close monitoring as operations returned toward normalcy. Passengers are advised to remain in contact with their airlines and to monitor airport communications for updates on status, delays and potential cancellations.