Passengers at Heathrow Airport and several other major European travel hubs may face continued delays this week following a significant cyber attack over the weekend. The incident, which affected check-in and boarding systems operated by Collins Aerospace, disrupted operations at Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin airports.
Cyber Attack Impacts European Airports
On Monday morning, Heathrow Airport confirmed that efforts were still underway to “resolve and recover” from the IT system outage caused by the attack. Although many flights continued to operate, passengers are advised to check their flight status before traveling and adhere to airport arrival guidance: no earlier than three hours for long-haul flights and two hours for short-haul.
Brussels Airport also reported ongoing delays and cancellations, warning travelers to expect continued disruption.
Possible State-Linked Hackers Behind Attack
Jonathan Hall KC, the UK’s independent terrorism legislation watchdog, raised concerns that the cyber attack could be the work of state-sponsored hackers or patriotic private entities operating from countries like Russia or China.
Speaking to Times Radio, Hall explained the challenge of attribution in cyber warfare. “It’s possible that a state was directly involved, but equally likely that a private group acted on its own or to curry favor with a government,” he said.
He emphasized the complexity of cyber ecosystems in countries like Russia and China, where sophisticated private entities may operate with informal ties to state agencies—creating a layer of deniability for government involvement.
Ransomware Attack Confirmed
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) confirmed that the disruption was the result of a ransomware attack by a third party, although further technical details have not yet been released.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is assisting Collins Aerospace and affected airports in their investigation. A spokesperson for Downing Street stated:
“We have cyber experts working with Collins Aerospace and affected UK airports to fully understand the impacts and address the ongoing issues.”
Law enforcement agencies across Europe are also involved in investigating the breach.
Airline Stocks Take a Hit
The cyber attack has had immediate financial repercussions. Shares in several UK-listed airline companies fell on Monday morning in early trading:
- International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG), owner of British Airways, saw a 1.3% decline in its stock price.
- EasyJet dropped by 1.3%, while Wizz Air shares fell 1.5%.
All three carriers have significant operations at Heathrow and other affected airports.
What Passengers Should Know
Travelers flying from impacted airports, especially Heathrow, should take the following steps:
- Check flight status regularly via airline websites or apps
- Avoid arriving too early (stick to the recommended two to three hours)
- Expect potential delays at check-in and boarding gates
Heathrow Airport apologized for the inconvenience, stating:
“We apologise to those who have faced delays, but by working together with airlines, the vast majority of flights have continued to operate.”
