European Airports Paralyzed by Lingering Ransomware Attack
▼ Summary
– A ransomware attack against Collins Aerospace is causing major flight disruptions across European airports for the fourth consecutive day.
– Significant delays are reported at major hubs, including Heathrow (90% of flights delayed), Brussels (88% delayed), and Berlin (94% delayed).
– Dublin airport confirmed there is no current timeline for a fix, with airlines relying on manual workarounds for check-in and boarding.
– The European cybersecurity agency ENISA has officially confirmed the disruptions are a direct result of the ransomware attack.
– Airports and the service provider are actively working to resolve the issue, but it remains unclear when systems will be fully restored.
Travel chaos continues to grip major European airports for a fourth consecutive day, stemming from a persistent ransomware attack targeting Collins Aerospace. This key provider of airline check-in and boarding systems has left carriers scrambling with manual alternatives, causing extensive flight delays and frustrating passengers across the continent.
Current data from FlightRadar24 paints a stark picture of the disruption. At London’s Heathrow Airport, a staggering 90% of flights are delayed, with passengers facing average hold-ups of 29 minutes. The situation is even more severe in Berlin, where Berlin Brandenburg Airport reports 94% of its flights are behind schedule, with an average delay stretching to a full hour. Brussels Airport is contending with 88% of flights delayed, averaging 43 minutes, while Dublin Airport has 91% of flights affected, with delays around 26 minutes.
A spokesperson for Dublin Airport, Graeme McQueen, confirmed that there is currently no estimated timeline for a full resolution. Airlines are forced to rely on manual workarounds as technical teams work to restore the compromised IT infrastructure. The spokesperson emphasized that efforts are ongoing to fix the issues impacting check-in and boarding processes.
Brussels Airport communicated via social media platform X that travelers should anticipate “limited disruptions” throughout Tuesday and Wednesday. A notice on the airport’s official website added that the service provider is actively engaged in resolving the problem but could not specify when systems would be fully operational again. Similarly, Berlin’s airport website posted a warning advising passengers of “longer waiting times.”
The root of the problem was officially confirmed on Monday by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), which attributed the widespread airport issues to the ransomware incident affecting Collins Aerospace. Despite the severity of the situation, spokespeople for Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin airports did not respond to requests for additional comment.
RTX, the parent company of Collins Aerospace, has also remained silent regarding the status of recovery efforts following the cyberattack. The lack of a public timeline from the affected company underscores the significant challenges involved in mitigating such a large-scale digital security breach.
(Source: TechCrunch)
