Cyberattack disrupts check-in systems at major European airports

LONDON (AP) — A cyberattack targeting check-in and boarding systems disrupted air traffic and caused delays at several of Europe’s major airports on Saturday.

While the impact on travelers appeared to be limited, experts said the intrusion exposed vulnerabilities in security systems.

The disruptions to electronic systems initially reported at Brussels, Berlin's Brandenburg and London's Heathrow airports meant that only manual check-in and boarding was possible. Many other European airports said their operations were unaffected.

“There was a cyberattack on Friday night 19 September against the service provider for the check-in and boarding systems affecting several European airports including Brussels Airport,” said Brussels Airport in a statement, initially reporting a “large impact” on flight schedules.

Airports said the issue centered around a provider of check-in and boarding systems — not airlines or the airports themselves.

Collins Aerospace, whose systems help passengers check themselves in, print boarding passes and bag tags and dispatch their luggage from a kiosk, cited a “cyber-related disruption” to its MUSE (Multi-User System Environment) software at “select airports.”

It was not immediately clear who might be behind the cyberattack, but experts said it could turn out to be hackers, criminal organizations, or state actors.

Travel analyst Paul Charles said he was “surprised and shocked” by the attack that has affected one of the world's top aviation and defense companies.

He said "it's deeply worrying that a company of that stature who normally have such resilient systems in place have been affected.”

“This is a very clever cyberattack indeed because it’s affected a number of airlines and airports at the same time — not just one airport or one airline, but they’ve got into the core system that enables airlines to effectively check in many of their passengers at different desks at different airports around Europe,” he told Sky News.

As the day wore on, the fallout appeared to be contained.

Brussels Airport spokesperson Ihsane Chioua Lekhli told broadcaster VTM that by mid-morning, nine flights had been canceled, four were redirected to another airport and 15 faced delays of an hour or more. She said it wasn’t immediately clear how long the disruptions might last.

Axel Schmidt, head of communications at the Brandenburg airport, said that by late morning, “we don’t have any flights canceled due to this specific reason, but that could change.” The Berlin airport said operators had cut off connections to affected systems.

Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, said the disruption has been “minimal” with no flight cancellations directly linked to the problems afflicting Collins. A spokesperson would not provide details as to how many flights have been delayed as a result of the cyberattack.

The airports advised travelers to check their flight status and apologized for any inconvenience.

Some passengers voiced annoyance at the lack of staff. With many, if not most, checking in individually, airlines have reduced the number of people operating at the traditional check-in counters.

Maria Casey, who was on her way to a two-week backpacking holiday in Thailand with Etihad Airways, said she had to spend three hours at baggage check-in at Heathrow’s Terminal 4.

“They had to write our baggage tabs by hand,” she said. “Only two desks were staffed, which is why we were cheesed off.”

Collins, an aviation and defense technology company that is a subsidiary of RTX Corp., formerly Raytheon Technologies, said it was “actively working to resolve the issue and restore full functionality to our customers as quickly as possible.”

“The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations,” it said in a statement.

Still, experts said the attack pointed to vulnerabilities — ones that hackers are increasingly trying to exploit.

Charlotte Wilson, head of enterprise at cybersecurity firm Check Point, said the aviation industry has become an “increasingly attractive target” for cybercriminals because of its heavy reliance on shared digital systems.

“These attacks often strike through the supply chain, exploiting third-party platforms that are used by multiple airlines and airports at once,” she said. “When one vendor is compromised, the ripple effect can be immediate and far-reaching, causing widespread disruption across borders.”

Experts said it was too early to tell who might be behind the attack, and were trying to read some clues.

“It looks almost more like vandalism than extortion, based on the information we have,” said James Davenport, a professor of information technology at the University of Bath in England. “I think significant new details would have to emerge to change this view.”

Keaten reported from Lyon, France.

People walk by a departures board after a cyber attack caused delays at Brussels International Airport in Zaventem, Belgium, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Harry Nakos)

People stand in front of a departure board after a cyber attack caused delays at Brussels International Airport in Zaventem, Belgium, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Harry Nakos)

People stand in a line to check in after a cyber attack caused delays at Brussels International Airport in Zaventem, Belgium, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Harry Nakos)

An airport employee points at a departure board after a cyber attack caused delays at Brussels International Airport in Zaventem, Belgium, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Harry Nakos)

People at BER airport as a cyber attack has caused delays, in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (Carsten Koall/dpa via AP)

People at BER airport as a cyber attack has caused delays, in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (Carsten Koall/dpa via AP)

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong officials on Wednesday proposed expanding oversight of building maintenance projects and stronger fire safety steps after a blaze in November killed at least 161 people and displaced thousands.

The blaze that spread across seven towers in an apartment complex raised questions about corruption, negligence and government oversight in the city's building maintenance projects, piling pressure on Hong Kong leader John Lee’s administration and Beijing’s “patriots-only” governance system for the city.

In the newly elected legislature's first meeting, Lee said the fire exposed the need for reform and pledged that the investigation by law enforcement agencies and a judge-led independent committee would be thorough.

“We will fairly pursue accountability and take disciplinary action based on facts against anyone who should bear responsibility, regardless of whether they are from within or outside the government, or whether they are junior or senior staff,” Lee said.

To combat bid-rigging, Lee's administration proposed that the Urban Renewal Authority play a greater role in helping homeowners choose contractors for building maintenance projects.

Officials planned to set up a preselected list of consultants and contractors based on official background checks and past reviews from homeowners. The authority would facilitate homeowners in tendering and bid evaluation more.

The government also suggested requiring big renovation projects to hire a third-party professional to supervise the work, necessitating fire department's approval before shutting down major fire safety installations, and banning smoking on any construction site.

Proposals for law changes linked to the smoking ban were expected to be submitted for the legislature's review within the next few weeks, while officials were still discussing some of the other suggestions with the Urban Renewal Authority.

Authorities have pointed to substandard netting and foam boards installed during renovations at the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex as factors that contributed to the fire in November. They also said some fire alarms did not work in tests.

Political analysts and observers worried the tragedy could be the “tip of an iceberg" in Hong Kong, a city whose skyline is built on high-rise buildings. Suspicions of bid-rigging and use of hazardous construction materials in renovation projects across other housing estates have left many fearing the disaster could be repeated.

A man walks past the burnt buildings after a deadly fire that started Wednesday at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories, Friday, Nov. 28 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

FILE - Smoke rises after a fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong's New Territories, Nov. 26 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei, File)