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Cyberterrorism

Cyberattack Disrupts Air Travel in Europe

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A significant cyberattack on Collins Aerospace's check-in software, MUSE, used by several airlines, caused disruptions at several major European airports, including London Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin, over the weekend. The outage led to long queues, delays, and cancellations, highlighting the growing cybersecurity risks facing global air travel. The attack began late Friday and escalated on Saturday, crippling electronic check-in and baggage-drop systems.

Key Takeaways:

  • The cyberattack on Collins Aerospace's MUSE check-in software affected several major European airports, including London Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin, causing long queues, delays, and cancellations.
  • The attack began late Friday and escalated on Saturday, crippling electronic check-in and baggage-drop systems.
  • Collins Aerospace, a unit of RTX, confirmed a "cyber-related disruption" and is working to fully restore services.
  • Air-traffic control and safety systems were not affected, according to Financial Times.
  • The airports most affected were Brussels, cancelling 45 of 257 departing flights on Sunday and reporting delays of 30-90 minutes; London Heathrow, which saw mostly low delays with only a handful of cancellations; and Berlin Brandenburg, which continued manual check-ins keeping disruptions to moderate levels.
  • Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium showed 29 combined cancellations at the three main hubs on Saturday, out of more than 1,000 scheduled departures.
  • Passengers reported mixed experiences, with some breezing through with mobile boarding passes and others facing long waits for manual check-in.
  • Airlines such as British Airways and Delta Air Lines reported minimal impact thanks to backup systems.
  • RTX has not disclosed a timeline for full restoration, but by early Sunday, delays were easing at most airports.
  • Cybersecurity specialists warn that the incident exposes the "fragile and interdependent nature of the digital ecosystem" supporting global aviation.
  • European Commission officials confirmed that safety was not compromised and investigations are ongoing.

Statistics:

  • 29 combined cancellations at the three main hubs on Saturday, out of more than 1,000 scheduled departures (Cirium).
  • 45 flights cancelled at Brussels Airport on Sunday (Brussels Airport).
  • 30-90 minutes of delays reported at Brussels Airport on Sunday (Brussels Airport).
  • 1,000 scheduled departures at the three main hubs on Saturday (Cirium).

Sources:

  • Reuters News, "Cyberattack Disrupts Airlines at European Airports" (No date).
  • Financial Times, "Cyberattack Hits Collins Aerospace's MUSE Check-in System" (No date).
  • AP News, "Cyberattack on Check-in System Causes Delays at European Airports" (No date).
  • Cirium, "Aviation Analytics Firm" (No date).
  • British Airways, "British Airways Response to Cyberattack" (No date).
  • Delta Air Lines, "Delta Air Lines Response to Cyberattack" (No date).
  • RTX, "RTX Response to Cyberattack" (No date).
  • European Commission, "European Commission Response to Cyberattack" (No date).

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