Travelers at some of Europe’s busiest airports were thrown into confusion last night after a massive cyberattack knocked out automated check-in systems. Heathrow in London, Brussels Airport, and Berlin Brandenburg were among those worst affected, as airlines suddenly reverted to old-school manual check-in, leading to long queues and mounting frustration.
The attack targeted Collins Aerospace, a key provider of the “MUSE” software that powers check-in and baggage systems for many carriers. With the system crippled, self-service kiosks and automated baggage drops went dark, forcing staff to scramble. “Passengers are advised to arrive early and check their flight status,” Heathrow officials said in a late-night notice.
At Brussels, at least ten flights were cancelled outright while dozens more were delayed, some by over an hour. In Berlin, long queues stretched across the terminal as manual boarding procedures dragged on. Witnesses described the scene as “total chaos,” with travelers uncertain whether their flights would even take off.
Not all airports felt the heat. Frankfurt and Zurich reported normal operations, but aviation experts warn the incident highlights just how dependent Europe’s air travel system is on third-party tech providers. Collins Aerospace confirmed a “cyber-related disruption” but assured that the issue was limited to check-in and baggage systems and had not compromised safety.
As investigations continue, the big question is whether this was a random criminal hack or something more coordinated. For now, passengers across Europe are the ones paying the price—with wasted hours, missed connections, and lingering doubt about just how secure their journeys really are.
