Heathrow Airport provided an update following delays experienced by passengers due to check-in and boarding system issues. The airport apologized for disruptions caused by a cyberattack on a service provider, resulting in significant delays over the weekend. Technical problems led to warnings of potential delays as affected airlines had to conduct check-in and boarding manually from Friday night through Saturday.
British Airways at Terminal 5 remained unaffected and operated as usual, while around 14 flights were canceled or delayed across other terminals on Saturday. The specific flights impacted by the technical issue were not clearly identified.
Collins Aerospace, the service provider affected by the cyberattack, stated on Saturday that they were actively working to resolve the issue with their Muse software at select airports. The disruption was limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop, which could be managed through manual check-in processes.
Heathrow Airport’s website advised passengers on Sunday to check their flight status before traveling, suggesting arrival times of three hours for long-haul flights and two hours for short-haul flights. The cyberattack impacted check-in operations at various European airports, including Brussels Airport, where difficult airport operations and flight cancellations were anticipated.
The European Commission confirmed they were closely monitoring the situation, emphasizing that aviation safety and air traffic control remained unaffected despite the disruptions in check-in and boarding systems. Collaboration with relevant aviation organizations, airports, and airlines aimed to restore operations and support affected passengers, with no indications of a widespread or severe attack reported.
If you have been affected by the recent disruptions, you can contact us at webnews@mirror.co.uk.
