Heathrow was among several European airports hit by delays on Saturday after a cyber-attack affecting an electronic check-in and baggage system.
The airport said a number of flights were delayed as a technical issue impacted software provided to several airlines.
Brussels Airport confirmed that passengers were being checked in and boarded manually following a cyber-attack on Friday night, while Berlin's Brandenburg Airport reported longer wait times due to similar issues.
RTX, the owner of software provider Collins Aerospace, acknowledged a cyber-related disruption to its system at select airports and is actively working to resolve the issues. The company stated that the impact was limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop, which could be addressed through manual operations.
According to reports, British Airways managed to maintain normal operations using a backup system, but most other airlines at Heathrow faced challenges. Shortly before midnight on Saturday, Heathrow announced it was continuing to resolve and recover from the outage, apologizing to affected passengers while noting that the vast majority of flights have continued to operate.
A spokesperson for the National Cyber Security Centre reported collaboration with Collins Aerospace, affected UK airports, and law enforcement to understand the full impact of the incident.
The European Commission is also monitoring the situation, emphasizing that there are no indications of the attack being widespread or severe and is facilitating cooperation to restore operations.
Flight trackers noted dozens of flights experienced delays across multiple airports on Saturday, prompting some airlines to switch to manual check-in operations as a workaround.
As long queues formed, travelers expressed frustration at the prolonged delays. Reports indicated that hundreds of flights had been adversely affected, with passengers struggling to connect to their respective destinations.
In a separate incident, Dublin Airport was also affected by a security alert regarding suspicious luggage on the same day.
Travel journalist Simon Calder commented on the interconnected nature of flight operations, stressing that minor disruptions can escalate quickly at a busy hub like Heathrow. Many past cyber-attacks have been linked to criminal gangs primarily seeking monetary gain.
While any accusations of state-sponsored involvement remain speculative, officials are taking the situation seriously and underlining the necessity for improved cybersecurity measures across the aviation industry.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander indicated ongoing updates and monitoring of the situation with a promise to address the concerns arising from this incident.
