European Airports Experience Major Disruptions As Ransomware Attack On Collins Aerospace Leads To Widespread Flight Cancellations: New Updates

Published on September 22, 2025

A monolithic ransomware attack targeting Collins Aerospace’s MUSE passenger-handling strategy has caused wide disruptions astatine respective awesome European airports. The incident, which took spot connected September 22, has affected airports including Brussels, London Heathrow, and Berlin Brandenburg, starring to formation cancellations, agelong queues, and operational delays. This cyberattack has forced airports and airlines to revert to manual procedures arsenic technicians activity astir nan timepiece to reconstruct nan affected systems. Passengers walking done these airports person faced important delays, and airlines person scrambled to accommodate nan disruptions, further complicating aerial recreation crossed Europe.

As recreation request continues to rise, particularly pinch nan return of world tourism, nan onslaught connected specified a captious strategy highlights vulnerabilities successful airdrome operations and nan ongoing challenges posed by cyber threats.

Brussels Airport Faces Severe Disruptions

Brussels Airport, 1 of nan hardest-hit locations, issued a petition for airlines to cancel astir half of their departures connected September 22, arsenic nan MUSE strategy nonaccomplishment caused awesome bottlenecks astatine check-in counters. The nonaccomplishment of automated check-in systems led to agelong hold times, pinch travelers reporting delays of up to 2 hours aliases much to cheque in. The constricted processing capacity prompted nan airdrome to trim formation schedules to debar congestion and guarantee rider safety. Despite these cancellations, astir flights yet departed, albeit pinch important delays.

London Heathrow and Berlin Brandenburg Also Affected

London Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, confirmed that while flights continued to operate, agelong queues formed arsenic unit manually processed check-ins. The reliance connected insubstantial boarding passes and manual procedures slowed turnaround times, starring to delays crossed nan airport. Similarly, Berlin Brandenburg, which faced further unit from nan Berlin Marathon complete nan weekend, saw monolithic queues and slow processing. Passengers successful Berlin were disappointment by nan delays, arsenic crushed unit scrambled to support up pinch nan influx of travelers.

Despite nan disruption, formation information was not impacted, and aerial postulation power systems continued to usability normally, according to Eurocontrol, Europe’s aerial postulation guidance body. However, operational ratio was importantly reduced crossed each affected airports.

The Impact connected Passengers and Airlines

The ransomware attack disrupted nan recreation plans of tens of thousands of passengers crossed Europe. Airlines struggled to accommodate affected travelers, rebooking flights and managing cancellations while passengers faced agelong waits to get rechecked manually. Airlines astatine Brussels Airport were forced to cancel flights to forestall further congestion successful nan terminal, but galore passengers were near stranded pinch constricted information. At Heathrow and Berlin, immoderate passengers waited much than 2 hours for check-in, pinch astir flights departing pinch delays alternatively than being afloat canceled.

The deficiency of automated baggage handling further contributed to nan delays, arsenic it slowed down nan turnaround process, affecting airdrome capacity. This incident highlights really profoundly reliant airports are connected their integer infrastructure and nan wide effect erstwhile systems fail.

Cybersecurity and Recovery Efforts

Collins Aerospace, which provides nan MUSE strategy utilized astatine airports astir nan world, has confirmed nan rumor was caused by a cyber-related disruption. The institution is successful nan process of restoring services, but nary timeline for afloat betterment has been provided. Automated kiosks and baggage driblet accommodation stay unavailable, further hampering airdrome operations. Law enforcement and cybersecurity agencies are investigating nan ransomware strain and person yet to find whether immoderate information was exfiltrated during nan attack.

Authorities are focusing connected nan vulnerabilities of third-party work providers and their domiciled successful aviation cybersecurity. The incident has underscored nan request for robust information measures to protect airdrome IT systems, which are captious to regular operations and rider safety.

The Bigger Picture: Impact connected Travel and Tourism

As world tourism rebounds, nan ransomware onslaught astatine cardinal European airports serves arsenic a stark reminder of nan cybersecurity risks that airports face. Travel and tourism person been steadily expanding since nan easing of pandemic restrictions, making this disruption peculiarly detrimental during a engaged recreation period. Passengers are advised to enactment updated connected their formation position and let other clip for check-in arsenic affected airports proceed betterment efforts.

With galore world visitors flocking to Europe, nan ripple effect of this onslaught could perchance dampen nan recreation acquisition for tourists, causing delays successful their travel and impacting their wide restitution pinch nan region’s airports.

What to Expect Moving Forward

While Collins Aerospace useful connected restoring nan MUSE system, passengers walking done affected airports are encouraged to cheque their formation position and stay patient. The betterment process is expected to return time, but pinch continued efforts, operations should return to normal successful nan coming days. The incident highlights nan value of improving cybersecurity measures crossed nan aviation assemblage and ensuring that airports tin usability smoothly, moreover successful nan look of technological disruptions.