• Major European airports, including Heathrow and Brussels, faced severe disruptions due to a cyberattack.
• The attack, confirmed as ransomware by ENISA, affected automated check-in systems at key airports.
• Heathrow reported that "the vast majority of flights have continued to operate" despite the incident.

Major European airports, including London’s Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels, experienced significant operational disruptions following a cyberattack that targeted automated check-in systems over the weekend. Flights were delayed and canceled due to the attack on Collins Aerospace's systems, which provide check-in services. Passengers encountered long queues and extensive delays, as hackers exacerbated travel chaos on a busy weekend, according to Reuters, Channel News Asia, and Dawn.

The disruption began late Friday and continued into Sunday, with Brussels Airport reporting 45 outbound and 30 inbound flights canceled on that day alone. Facilities at airports were strained as staff resorted to manual processes, including handwriting boarding passes, to manage the situation. ENISA, the EU's cybersecurity agency, investigated the source of the attack, confirming the nature of the incident as a ransomware attack, according to South China Morning Post and CBS News.

While some airports, including Heathrow, reported signs of recovery, others, like Berlin Brandenburg Airport, continued to struggle with delays of over an hour for departures. Collins Aerospace stated they were finalizing updates to restore functionality to the affected systems. Passengers were advised to utilize alternative methods for check-in as disruptions continued into a second day, according to Reuters and Anadolu Agency.

The ransomware attack illustrates a growing threat to critical infrastructure, with the aviation sector grappling with increased cyberattacks. Experts note that organizations are facing more attacks aimed at high-profile victims for visibility, with discussions on the frequency and scale of such disruptive attacks becoming increasingly pertinent, according to Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.