Cybersecurity Attack Delays Multiple European Airports’ Flights

London’s Heathrow Airport, the busiest airport in Europe, had flight delays and issues with online check-ins due to a cyber-attack (Flickr).

As a result of a large cybersecurity attack on September 19-20, major airports across Europe faced significant issues with their check-in and boarding systems, leading to flight cancellations and travel delays. Brussels Airport was the first to announce that their systems were not working, but airports in Brandenburg, Heathrow, and Dublin all reported issues as well. 

The attack targeted Collin Aerospace, which is the company responsible for automated check-ins. Hackers disrupted its “Multi-User System Environment,” (MUSE). Investigators believe the attack was carried out using ransomware, a software that prevents the data usage until users pay a fee. Collin Aerospace is not the only company to have faced problems with hackers recently. Other companies, such as Jaguar Land Rover, Britain’s largest car manufacturer, and Marks & Spencer, also had data breaches this year. The French aerospace company, Thales, conducted a study that showed a 600 percent increase in the number of cyber-attacks compared to last year. Overall, these ongoing attacks have revealed a worrying trend. 

Due to the cybersecurity breach, the affected airports had to handle check-ins and baggage manually, which affected thousands of flyers and caused significant delays. At Brussels Airport, airlines were still cancelling flights up to September 24. The attack’s drawn-out impact on airports across Western Europe shows how vulnerable air travel is to system malfunctions, technological issues, and most especially hacking. One major issue is airports’ use of third-party software, which leaves many openings for potential threats. Many airports use the same software, making it easier for hackers to disrupt multiple airports simultaneously, widening the effect of their attacks. 

Law enforcement is currently investigating the disruption. According to the BBC, investigators arrested a man in connection to the hacking on September 23. The suspect is in his late forties and was in West Sussex, England, at the time of his arrest. Currently, he is on conditional bail, and the investigation is still ongoing. Authorities have not released more information on potential criminal organizations behind the attack. 

Collin Aerospace has not yet resumed operations and has told airports to prepare to continue manual check-ins for at least the next few days. While the attack is unlikely to have permanent effects on travel, it is a sign that many companies, even trusted ones such as Collin Aerospace, are not safe from cyber-attacks. This underlines the importance of cybersecurity, as the world becomes increasingly governed by virtual attacks rather than physical ones.