What is known about the hacker attack that paralyzed European airports

Heathrow, in the London metropolitan area, is among the various European airports affected by a cyber attack that affected the electronic check-in and baggage system. The airport warned of possible delays due to a ‘technical issue’ that affected the software provided by Collins Aerospace to several airlines. Brussels Airport reported that a cyber attack on Friday night led to passengers being checked in and boarded manually, while Berlin Brandenburg Airport also reported longer waiting times due to the issue. RTX, the owner of Collins Aerospace, stated that they were ‘aware of a cyber security-related disruption’ in their system at ‘selected airports’ and were working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. The company added: ‘The impact is limited to customers’ electronic check-in and baggage delivery, and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations.’ According to the company, the attack targeted their Muse software, which allows different airlines to use the same check-in counters and boarding gates at an airport, instead of needing to have their own. The BBC learned that British Airways is operating normally using a backup system, but most airlines operating from Heathrow were affected. A spokesperson for the National Cyber Security Centre stated: ‘We are working with Collins Aerospace and the affected UK airports, along with the Department of Transport and colleagues from the police authorities, to fully understand the impact of the incident.’ The European Commission, which manages airspace across Europe, stated that they were ‘closely monitoring the cyber attack’. The spokesperson added that there were no indications of a ‘widespread or serious’ attack and that they were working with airlines and airports to ‘restore operations and support passengers’. Hundreds of flights suffered delays at airports throughout Saturday, according to the FlightAware flight tracker. Dublin and Cork airports experienced a ‘minor impact’ from the cyber attack, with some airlines implementing manual check-in processes.