LONDON, United Kingdom — A technical meltdown tied to airline check-in software rippled through three of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs this weekend, leaving travelers in London, Brussels and Berlin juggling last-minute schedule changes and crowded terminals.
What Happened at Heathrow
The first signs of trouble emerged Friday night, when airlines operating out of London Heathrow Airport shifted to manual passenger processing after their usual digital check-in platform faltered. The system in question is supplied by Collins Aerospace, a U.S.-based aviation technology firm that supports airlines worldwide. By 11 a.m. Sunday, flight-tracking service FlightRadar24 logged more than 130 Heathrow departures running at least 20 minutes behind schedule, and 13 cancellations had already been recorded on Saturday. Heathrow’s management deployed additional staff to assist with handwritten boarding passes and gate changes while urging flyers to re-confirm itineraries before setting out for the airport. “Work continues to resolve and recover from Friday’s outage,” Heathrow said in a prepared statement. The airport stressed that the underlying software problem lay outside its direct control, though officials did not specify when a full return to normal operations could be expected.
Brussels and Berlin Feel the Pain Too
Travelers connecting through Brussels Airport in Zaventem encountered a mirror image of Heathrow’s woes. By midday Sunday every one of the airport’s more than 80 scheduled departures had been logged as delayed, airport data showed. Nearly 500 miles to the east, Berlin Brandenburg Airport reported upward of 70 delayed flights over the same period, though a handful departed on time thanks to contingency procedures refined during previous IT incidents. Airport teams in both cities echoed Heathrow’s advice, recommending passengers arrive no earlier than three hours ahead of long-haul departures and two hours before short-haul flights to avoid clogging already crowded check-in halls.
Inside the Suspected Cyber Attack
Collins Aerospace, which sits under Raytheon Technologies, said Saturday it was addressing a “cyber-related incident.” The company has not confirmed whether ransomware or another form of malicious code is responsible for the breakdown, and it declined to reveal how many airline clients or global airports rely on the impacted platform. If hackers are ultimately to blame, the incident would be the latest in a string of high-profile cyber disruptions targeting British industry. Production lines at Jaguar Land Rover—the U.K.’s largest automotive employer—have been idle for three weeks following an unrelated cyber event. Retailers Marks & Spencer and the Co-op also disclosed digital breaches earlier this year.
Why Manual Check-In Slows Everything Down
Digital check-in systems automatically cross-check passenger lists against government watchlists, assign seat maps and relay baggage information to ground handlers. When those links go dark, airline agents must hand-write boarding passes, re-label bags and key data into backup devices—each step adding minutes per traveler. The domino effect quickly backs up security lanes, customs stations and departure gates. At Heathrow, some carriers were forced to leave airport stands early to avoid missing coveted take-off slots, even if a few remaining passengers still waited in line. Others accepted the cost of pushing flights back—often by 30 minutes to two hours—so they could finish manual processing.
Knock-On Effects Across Connecting Networks
Because Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin serve as major transfer nodes, delays originating there bled into wider global networks. Several flights from the United States landed late because they departed Europe behind schedule, while Asian carriers adjusted crew rotations after overnight services failed to leave on time. Travelers with tight layovers reported stranded luggage and missed onward legs in Dublin, Frankfurt and Istanbul.
Tips for Travelers Navigating the Disruption
- Confirm Your Flight Status: Use airline apps or websites on the morning of travel. Schedules have changed with little notice.
- Keep Your Boarding Pass Digital: Even if you check in online, print or screenshot your pass in case airport scanners go offline.
- Arrive in the Recommended Window: Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin advise three hours for long-haul and two hours for intra-Europe services—no earlier, no later.
- Pack Essential Meds and Valuables in Carry-On: Manual bag tagging increases the risk of misrouted luggage.
- Monitor Airline Rebooking Waivers: Many carriers allow fee-free changes this week. Re-route through unaffected hubs such as Amsterdam or Paris if schedules allow.
Could Similar Outages Happen Again?
Aviation analysts note that airlines depend on a relatively small pool of third-party IT vendors for reservations, crew planning and weight-and-balance calculations. A successful attack on any one of those systems can reverberate globally, and recovery often drags on because security teams must ensure no lingering malware remains before they restore full functionality. Collins Aerospace has not detailed which safeguards failed Friday night, but cybersecurity researchers point out that legacy airport networks often blend decades-old hardware with newer cloud-based services—an environment ripe for vulnerabilities.
The Growing Cost of Cyber Resilience
Industry estimates place the total bill for flight delays, missed connections and hotel vouchers during large-scale IT outages in the tens of millions of dollars. Carriers must also compensate passengers under EU Regulation 261/2004 for cancellations or lengthy delays unless they can prove “extraordinary circumstances.” Whether a cyber attack qualifies as extraordinary hinges on ongoing legal debate; several European courts have ruled that airlines remain liable if basic IT protections were lacking.
Looking Ahead
While Heathrow said most flights were still operating Sunday, continued rolling delays are expected into the early part of the week as backlogs clear and crews realign with duty-time limits. Brussels Airport has penciled in an elevated disruption status through Monday morning, and Berlin Brandenburg recommends passengers watch social feeds for gate changes even after they pass security. Aviation authorities in the United Kingdom, Belgium and Germany have not announced investigations yet, but each country’s transport ministry is in contact with Collins Aerospace and affected airlines to determine whether stronger cyber-readiness standards are needed.
FAQ: Heathrow Cyber Outage
Is the system failure confirmed as a hack?
No official confirmation yet, only that Collins Aerospace is addressing a “cyber-related incident.”
Which airlines are impacted?
The vendor supports multiple global carriers. Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin advised that the majority of airlines at those hubs experienced disruptions.
Can I claim compensation?
Under EU261 rules, eligibility depends on whether the outage is deemed extraordinary. File a claim through your carrier for evaluation.
When will services return to normal?
Airports say most flights are running despite delays, but full restoration depends on Collins Aerospace’s fix timeline, which remains undisclosed.
For now, the best defense for travelers is vigilance: reconfirm bookings, pad itineraries with extra time and stay flexible in case rerouting becomes necessary. The episode underscores how a single line of computer code can ground aircraft just as effectively as fog, snow or strikes—and why cyber hygiene may soon be as critical to on-time performance as a clear runway. — as Heathrow Airport said in a prepared statement.
