A cyberattack targeting a third-party technology vendor has disrupted passenger flights at major international airports across Europe, including Heathrow Airport in London.
Authorities said the attack targeted Collins Aerospace, a U.S. company that provides check-in and boarding technology for several airlines across the globe.
The National Cyber Security Center in the U.K. said it was working with the company, law enforcement and the U.K. Department for Transport to better understand the scope of the incident and help with response.
“While the underlying problem was outside our influence, we have continued to support our airline partners and passengers to get away as timely as possible over the weekend,” a spokesperson for Heathrow Airport told Cybersecurity Dive via email Sunday.
Heathrow officials apologized for the delays, and asked passengers to arrive three hours ahead of scheduled international flights and two hours early for domestic travel.
British Airways on Sunday said in a post on X that it was able to deliver about 90% of its scheduled flights on Saturday, and expected to run a nearly full schedule.
A spokesperson for the Brussels Airport told Cybersecurity Dive there would be only a limited impact on flights Tuesday due to the development of alternative check-in options.
The attacks follow concerns raised earlier this year about the ability of the U.S. aviation sector to withstand a major attack. A report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies raised questions about the industry’s aging technology infrastructure and dependence on connected technologies.
Collins Aerospace is a subsidiary of RTX, formerly Raytheon Technologies, a large aerospace and defense contractor. A spokesperson for Collins was not immediately available for comment.
The company previously was the target of a cyberattack in 2023, which was claimed by BianLian, according to Rafe Pilling, director of threat intelligence at Sophos.
A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration told Cybersecurity Dive that a prior disruption in Dallas last week was unrelated to the Collins attack.
