The Guardian
Lauren Almeida
Mon 22 Sep 2025 13.19 CEST
First published on Mon 22 Sep 2025 10.03 CEST

Software provider Collins Aerospace completing updates after Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin hit by problems

Flight delays continue across Europe after weekend cyber-attack
Software provider Collins Aerospace completing updates after Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin hit by problems

Passengers are facing another day of flight delays across Europe, as big airports continue to grapple with the aftermath of a cyber-attack on the company behind the software used for check-in and boarding.

Several of the largest airports in Europe, including London Heathrow, have been trying to restore normal operations over the past few days after an attack on Friday disrupted automatic check-in and boarding software.

The problem stemmed from Collins Aerospace, a software provider that works with several airlines across the world.

The company, which is a subsidiary of the US aerospace and defence company RTX, said on Monday that it was working with four affected airports and airline customers, and was in the final stages of completing the updates needed to restore full functionality.

The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity said on Monday that Collins had suffered a ransomware attack. This is a type of cyber-attack where hackers in effect lock up the target’s data and systems in an attempt to secure a ransom.

Airports in Brussels, Dublin and Berlin have also experienced delays. While kiosks and bag-drop machines have been offline, airline staff have instead relied on manual processing.

The government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, Jonathan Hall KC, said it was possible state-sponsored hackers could be behind the attack.

When asked if a state such as Russia could have been responsible, Hall told Times Radio “anything is possible”.

He added that while people thought, “understandably, about states deciding to do things it is also possible for very, very powerful and sophisticated private entities to do things as well”.

A spokesperson for Brussels airport said Collins Aerospace had not yet confirmed the system was secure again. On Monday, 40 of its 277 departing flights and 23 of its 277 arriving services were cancelled.

A Heathrow spokesperson said the “vast majority of flights at Heathrow are operating as normal, although check-in and boarding for some flights may take slightly longer than usual”.

They added: “This system is not owned or operated by Heathrow, so while we cannot resolve the IT issue directly, we are supporting airlines and have additional colleagues in the terminals to assist passengers.”