**Summary of Recent Cyber-Attack Disruption at European Airports**
**Introduction: Widespread Airport Disruption**
Air travellers across Europe are currently experiencing significant disruptions following a cyber-attack that crippled a key check-in and baggage software system used at several major airports, including London Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin Brandenburg. The incident began on Saturday, causing hundreds of flight delays and forcing airport staff to revert to manual, pen-and-paper processes for passenger check-in and boarding. As the affected software provider, Collins Aerospace, struggles to resolve the issue, airlines and airports have been left grappling with the fallout, and thousands of passengers are facing uncertainty and inconvenience.
**The Cyber-Attack and Its Immediate Impact**
The disruption stemmed from an attack on the Muse software platform, which is owned by Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of the global aerospace and defense company RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies). Muse is an essential tool in airport operations, as it allows multiple airlines to share check-in desks and boarding gates. This shared system streamlines airport logistics, but the outage has highlighted the risks of such centralized digital infrastructure.
On Saturday, as the software failed across several airports, staff had to quickly adapt, switching to manual check-in and boarding procedures. This sudden change led to long queues, confusion, and significant delays. Passengers described scenes of airport employees hastily filling out paperwork by hand, checking passports and tickets manually, and struggling to process baggage without the aid of the electronic system.
At Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest international airports, nearly half of all departing flights were delayed on Saturday, according to the flight tracking service FlightAware. Extra staff were deployed to help manage the congestion and keep passengers informed. Despite these efforts, the experience for many travellers was frustrating and stressful, with some missing connections or facing overnight delays.
**Airlines and Airports Respond**
By Sunday, some progress had been made. Heathrow reported that roughly half of the airlines operating from the airport were able to get back online, at least partially, by using backup systems. British Airways, for example, managed to restore some check-in functionality and was able to resume more normal operations, though residual delays persisted.
Other airports, however, were less fortunate. Brussels Airport, a key European hub, announced that it had "no indication yet" when the affected systems would be restored. As a result, the airport asked airlines to cancel half of their scheduled departing flights for Monday, a measure intended to reduce congestion and give staff a chance to process the remaining flights using manual methods.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport also continued to board some passengers manually, with no clear timeline for when electronic systems would be fully restored. The airport advised travellers to use online or self-service check-in whenever possible and reported several cancellations. Nevertheless, it stated that most delays at Berlin were under 45 minutes, and the airport was making every effort to keep disruption to a minimum.
Dublin Airport, while affected by the same software problems, said it expected to operate a full flight schedule on Sunday, as staff adapted to manual check-in where necessary. Cork Airport, owned by the same parent company as Dublin, initially reported a "minor impact" but later confirmed that all services were running as normal.
**The Human Cost: Passengers Stranded and Stressed**
For travellers caught up in the chaos, the experience has ranged from inconvenient to distressing. Naomi Rowan, a passenger from Sudbury, Suffolk, was attempting to emigrate to Costa Rica with her dog, Dusty, when her Air France flight from Heathrow was disrupted by the cyber-attack. In a story typical of many, Rowan described how staff were unable to process her dog's travel paperwork without the electronic system, forcing her to miss her flight and book a hotel. After hours of uncertainty, she managed to contact Air France and was rebooked for a flight on Monday, illustrating the knock-on effects such technical outages can have on personal plans and emotional wellbeing.
Virgin Atlantic, another major airline operating from Heathrow, acknowledged the ongoing technical issues and warned passengers of possible delays, although by Sunday all its flights were still scheduled to depart as planned. The airline, like others, urged passengers to check for flight updates before travelling to the airport and to allow extra time for check-in and boarding.
**Industry and Government Response**
The response from the aviation industry and government authorities has been focused on damage control and restoring normal operations as quickly as possible. Collins Aerospace, the software provider at the center of the