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 reported that a cyber-attack on Friday night required passengers to be checked in and boarded manually, while Berlin's Brandenburg Airport also experienced longer waiting times.
RTX, which owns software provider Collins Aerospace, confirmed it was aware of a 'cyber-related disruption' affecting its system in 'select airports' and was working to resolve the issue promptly.
The company stated that the disruption specifically impacted electronic customer check-in and baggage drop but could be managed with manual check-in procedures. Notably, its Muse software, facilitating shared check-in desks and boarding gates among various airlines, was affected.
Despite the disruptions, British Airways reportedly continued operations using a backup system, while most other airlines at Heathrow faced difficulties.
Shortly before midnight on Saturday, Heathrow announced it was making efforts to recover from the outage and apologized for the delays, emphasizing that most flights continued to operate.
A spokesperson from the National Cyber Security Centre indicated that they are collaborating with Collins Aerospace, affected UK airports, the Department for Transport, and law enforcement agencies to fully understand the impact of the incident.
The European Commission stated it was closely monitoring the cyber-attack but noted that there were indications it was not widespread or severe and was coordinating with airlines and airports to restore operations and aid passengers.
Hundreds of flights were delayed throughout Saturday, according to FlightAware, with Dublin Airport experiencing 'minor impact' as some airlines shifted to manual check-in procedures.
Passengers reported long queues at Heathrow, with some recounting waits of over two hours for check-in. The chaotic situation included instances of passengers missing their connections due to delays.
As of now, it's too early to determine the extent and origin of the cyber-attack, with speculations about possible involvement from criminal gangs or state-sponsored actors.
Authorities and experts continue to investigate the incident while assessing the implications for aviation security across Europe.
