London [UK], September 21: Heathrow is among several European airports hit by a cyberattack affecting an electronic check-in and baggage system.
The airport said a number of flights were delayed on Saturday as a "technical issue" impacted software provided to several airlines.
Brussels Airport said a cyberattack on Friday night meant passengers were being checked in and boarded manually, while Berlin's Brandenburg Airport also reported longer waiting times due to the problem.
RTX, which owns software provider Collins Aerospace, said it was "aware of a cyber-related disruption" to its system in "select airports" and that it was working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
The company added: "The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations." It said its Muse software - which allows different airlines to use the same check-in desks and boarding gates at an airport, rather than requiring their own - had been affected.
The BBC understands that British Airways is operating as normal using a back-up system, but that most other airlines operating from Heathrow have been affected.
A National Cyber Security Centre spokesperson said: "We are working with Collins Aerospace and affected UK airports, alongside Department for Transport and law enforcement colleagues, to fully understand the impact of an incident." Hundreds of flights have been delayed at the airports throughout Saturday, according to flight tracker FlightAware.
Dublin Airport said it and Cork Airport had experienced a "minor impact" from the cyber-attack, with some airlines implementing manual check-in processes.
Source: Qatar Tribune
