Hundreds of flights have been delayed and cancelled at Heathrow after a cyber attack targeting a service provider for check-in and boarding systems. has hit European airports.
The attack has rendered automated systems inoperable, allowing only manual check-in and boarding procedures, according to Brussels Airport.
London Heathrow and Berlin airport also said the attack was disrupting their flights, with passengers advised to confirm their travel with airlines before heading to the airport on Saturday.
More than 500 flights were disrupted on Saturday, according to FlightRadar.
Heathrow said that Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in and boarding systems for multiple airlines globally, is “experiencing a technical issue which may cause delays for departing passengers”.
The airport advised travellers to check their flight status with the airline and said it had deployed extra staff into check-in areas to “help minimise disruption”.
Brussels Airport said the cyber attack has had a “large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cause delays and cancellations of flights”.
Collins Aerospace said it is working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
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Key Points
- Heathrow warns of delays after boarding system-provider disrupted
- Brussels Airport says cyber attack will have 'large impact' on flight schedule
- Airport cyberattack causes cancellations and delays across Europe
- What rights do you have to compensation for cancelled flights?
Collins Aerospace ‘cyber attack’ latest in series of incidents at UK airports
23:00
,
Bryony Gooch
The incident is the latest in a series that have affected UK airports since the start of the year.
Thousands of passengers trying to fly both in and out of the country faced major disruption on Wednesday July 30 after air traffic control (ATC) provider Nats was hit by a technical glitch.
More than 150 flights – 84 departures and 71 arrivals – were cancelled in airports across the UK, with the highest number of cancellations at London’s Heathrow Airport.
A number of inbound flights were also diverted to European cities as a result of the glitch, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Passengers at Stansted Airport also faced long delays and disruption on Sunday May 11 after an IT glitch caused some of the airport’s systems to fail.
The malfunction affected check-in, baggage, and security, with engineers investigating the source of the IT problem saying it may have been related to the systems’ internet access.
On Friday March 21, more than 270,000 air passenger journeys were disrupted by Heathrow airport’s closure following a fire at a nearby electrical substation.
Some 234,000 passengers booked to fly to or from Heathrow that day had their flight cancelled, diverted or delayed when the airport suffered a power outage because of a blaze at the substation in Hayes, aviation industry statistics seen by the PA news agency have showed.
No flights were permitted at the airport on that day until around 6pm.
A further 36,500 people hoping to travel the following day were affected when 74 flights, 6.1% of the total scheduled, were cancelled.
Passenger says she 'broke down in tears' at Heathrow
22:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Helen Steel, 49, who was trying to fly home with KLM to Oslo via Amsterdam with a cat named Thomas, told the PA news agency she “broke down in tears” after being shouted at by staff at Heathrow Airport amid long queues.
Speaking at a crowded Terminal 4, Ms Steel said: “I started travelling this morning at 3am from Dorset, and they knew about the cyber attack yesterday and didn’t tell us.
“If they just told us that there was a cyber attack, I wouldn’t have travelled up here.
“I’ve got an animal here, so I’m very concerned about his welfare.
“I’ve been shouted at twice and I broke down in tears because I was worried about him.
“None of us have had any information whatsoever. Whenever we ask ground staff, they shout at us.
“They tell us to call customer service – I’ve spent about two hours in a queue on the telephone. I then finally got through to somebody and they put the phone down on me.
“It’s another three hours to get back home and then come back up again if they find a new flight, so now I must go look for a hotel, but I’m still stuck in this queue.”
RECAP: Expert warns of 'deeply concerning' cyber attack
21:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
A leading aviation figure has called Saturday’s cyber attack “deeply concerning”.
Paul Charles, chief executive of The PC Agency and former communications director of Virgin Atlantic, told The Independent’s Simon Calder: “Many in the industry are surprised that a company of the stature and scale of Collins Aerospace has been victim of such a cyber attack. It is one of the most experienced systems suppliers in the world to airports and airlines, and governments including the UK.”
The attack affected the “Multi-User System Environment” passenger processing system, know as MUSE.
Mr Charles said: “If Collins can be hacked so easily then you have to question all suppliers. I hope they’re able to get the MUSE software affected back online quickly, otherwise flights will be affected for many days to come.”
Brussels Airport says half of departing flights tomorrow will be cancelled
20:56
,
Daniel Keane
Brussels Airport said half the departing flights scheduled for Sunday will need to be cancelled due to ongoing disruption following a cyberattack that hit several European airports.
"Brussels Airport has asked airlines to cancel half of the scheduled departing flights on Sunday 21 September in order to avoid long queues and late cancellations," a spokesperson for the Belgian airport said.
Passengers argue in the long queues at Terminal 4
20:10
,
Bryony Gooch
Arguments have broken out between passengers waiting in long queues at Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 4.
Amid lengthy lines at the check-in area, one woman shouted at another woman: “Get out and stop pushing.
“Everyone is tired, it’s not an excuse.”
Other passengers are in heated conversations with airport staff, as frustration levels rise at the transport hub because of the delays.
Long queues at Terminal 4 leave people queuing by entrance
20:05
,
Bryony Gooch
Long lines at the check-in area of Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 4 has left passengers queuing near the entrance to the transport hub.
Airport staff have erected extra queue barriers in an attempt to manage the lengthy lines, with passengers reporting that they have been left waiting for hours.
Some passengers have resorted to sitting on their luggage amid the long delays at the airport.
ANALYSIS: What rights do you have to compensation for cancelled flights?
20:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Many travellers will have faced cancelled or delayed flights from Heathrow, Brussels, or Berlin airports today.
But what are your rights if your flight is cancelled?
The Independent’s Simon Calder has all you need to know below...
European Commission 'closely monitoring' cyber attack
19:44
,
Daniel Keane
The European Commission has said it is "closely monitoring" a cyber attack that caused major disruption at several international airports across Europe - including Heathrow.
Berlin and Brussels airports are also affected by the attack which targeted a technical partner, Collins Aerospace.
"The Commission is closely monitoring the cyber attack that has disrupted airline check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports globally," a spokesperson for the European Commission, which takes part in managing airspace across Europe, said on Saturday.
"While passengers are facing disruption, aviation safety and air traffic control remain unaffected.
"The Commission is working closely with EUROCONTROL, ENISA, airports and airlines to restore operations and to support passengers.
"Current signs do not indicate a widespread or severe attack."
RECAP: Passengers face chaos as flights cancelled and delayed across Europe
19:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Passengers have been facing cancellations and delays at airports across Europe on Saturday after airport systems were hit by a cyber attack.
Collins Aerospace, which makes systems used for check-in and baggage loading, said it was doing everything in its power to resolve the issue.
Customers travelling from Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin airports have been directly affected, with many reporting missing connecting flights onwards due to the cyber attack.
Heathrow and Brussels airports have advised passengers not to travel to the airport before confirming the status of their flight with airlines.
Passengers complain of 'utter bedlam'
18:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Passengers have spoken of “utter bedlam” at Heathrow airport following the cyber attack.
Andy Rice, who is travelling to Minneapolis, told The Independent: “I thankfully am now onboard my flight and ready to go but T3 was utter bedlam.
“Lots of elderly passengers who were struggling to hear announcements being shouted out couldn’t hear and ended up missing flights.
“What was painfully evident was that among the Heathrow staff, most were not trained in how to marshal passengers so in the end it became a free for all melee.”
No evidence of 'widespread or severe attack', EU say
17:27
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
There is no evidence of a "widespread or severe attack,” the European Commission said in a statement about the cyber attack affecting several European airports.
It added that the origin of the incident was still under investigation.
Passengers 'sitting on floor' at crowded Heathrow
17:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
There are long queues at the check-in area of Heathrow Terminal 4 after an alleged cyber attack targeted a service provider.
Many passengers have resorted to sitting on the floor with limited seats left in the crowded terminal, as airport staff attempt to manage the snaking queues, reports the PA news agency.
Security chiefs 'working with' Collins Aerospace
16:30
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
UK security chiefs are “working with” Collins Aerospace and affected airports following today’s cyber attack.
A National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) spokesperson said: "We are working with Collins Aerospace and affected UK airports, alongside Department for Transport and law enforcement colleagues, to fully understand the impact of an incident.
“All organisations are urged to make use of the NCSC’s free guidance, services and tools to help reduce the chances of a cyber attack and bolster their resilience in the face of online threats.”
In pictures: Chaos continues at Heathrow Airport
16:15
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Government should 'immediately' make statement on whether Kremlin is behind cyber attack, Lib Dems say
15:53
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
The Government needs to immediately make a statement on whether Russian involvement is suspected in an alleged cyber attack on an airport check-in provider, the Liberal Democrats have said.
Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller said: "After the flagrant violation of Estonian airspace, the Government needs to urgently establish if Vladimir Putin is now attacking our cyber systems.
"If the Kremlin is behind this attack, causing chaos at our busiest airport, we need to be firm in our response."
Man arrested Dublin airport with suspected detonators, local media reports
15:24
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
A man has been arrested at Dublin Airport with suspected detonators in his bag, according to reports by the Irish Independent.
Terminal 2 at the airport was evacuated this morning due to a security concern. The terminal has since been reopened.
The evacuation will have added a further headache for an already chaotic day in European aviation, but is not believed to have been linked to the cyber attack impacting Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels.
The Independent has reached out to Ireland’s Garda for more detail on the incident.
Cyber attack shows 'increasing vulnerabilities' in aviation sector, expert says
15:08
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Cybersecurity expert Vykintas Maknickas, who is CEO of NordVPN’s travel eSIM app Saily, said today’s cyber attack is a “prime example” of risks facing the industry.
“This recent cyberattack highlights the increasing vulnerabilities within the aviation sector as airports and airlines continue to rely on interconnected systems for operations,” he said.
“As we've seen with the disruptions at major airports, the impact of a cyberattack on critical infrastructure can be profound, affecting everything from check-ins to baggage handling.”
He added the attack is a “prime example of the supply-chain risks facing the aviation industry”.
“Many airports, including those affected in this incident, rely on the same third-party systems for passenger handling. While this approach boosts operational efficiency, it significantly reduces resilience,” he explained. “A single cyberattack on one vendor can quickly escalate into widespread disruptions across multiple airports, as seen with the delays and cancellations at major European hubs like Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin.”
He reminded operators that “every outage has a human cost”.
“Business travellers are missing important meetings, families get stranded at airports, and airport workers operate under stress,” he said.
“This incident should serve as a reminder to the entire travel and tech industry to reassess and reinforce their cyber defences, especially as cyber threats continue to evolve at a rapid pace.”
Passengers in Berlin face delays
14:41
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Berlin Airport said on its website that there were longer waiting times at check-in and it was working on a quick solution. Frankfurt Airport, Germany's largest, was not affected, a spokesperson said.
At Berlin Airport, Kim Reisen was struggling with delays and a lack of clarity, telling Reuters they had only been told there was "a technical fault."
Another traveller, Siegfried Schwarz, also from Berlin, said: "I ... find it inexplicable that, with today's technology, there's no way to defend yourself against something like that."
Dublin Airport reopens after 'security alert'
14:23
,
Natalie Crockett
Dublin Airport has reopened Terminal 2 after it was evacuated on Saturday morning due to a security alert.
"Dublin Airport confirms Terminal 2 has received the all-clear. Passengers will shortly re-enter & flights are expected to resume within 30 mins," the airport said in a statement on X.
Police said in a statement that officers had attended an incident at Dublin Airport, but gave no further details.
The incident was not connected to the cyber attack that had disrupted dozens of flights across Europe but Dublin Airport said it was also experiencing minor impacts related to the software breach.
At least 16 flights cancelled
14:03
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Cirium, the aviation analyst, says: “Today, 20 September 2025, has seen a total of 16 departures cancelled so far, across Heathrow (LHR), Berlin (BER) and Brussels (BRU). There have also been 13 arrivals cancelled, across the three airports.
“London Heathrow has seen seven departures and five arrivals cancelled so far. Today, there were scheduled to be 651 departures from London Heathrow today, 228 from Brussels and 226 from Berlin.”
United Airlines 'aware' of issue
14:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
United Airlines is “aware” of a “technical issue” causing what it called “minor departure delays” at Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels, it said.
No other airports have currently said it is experiencing issues due to the cyber attack.
United Airlines said none of their flights at any of the impacted airports had been cancelled.
Latest Heathrow Airport statement
13:30
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
We haven’t had any updates from Heathrow Airport since its statement earlier this morning.
The post on its website states: “Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports globally, is experiencing a technical issue that may cause delays for departing passengers.
“While the provider works to resolve the problem quickly, we advise passengers to check their flight status with their airline before travelling.
“Please arrive no earlier than three hours before a long-haul flight or two hours before a domestic flight.
“Additional colleagues are available in check-in areas to assist and help minimise disruption.
“We apologise for any inconvenience.”
No airports in Poland affected by attack
13:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
No airports in Poland have been affected by the cyber attack on Collins Aerospace, according to the country’s deputy prime minister.
Airports that have been affected include Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin.
Dublin Airport terminal evacuated over 'safety' concern
12:56
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Dublin Airport’s terminal two has been evacuated as a “safety precaution”, the airport said in a statement.
“Passenger and staff safety is our top priority,” it wrote in a post on X. “Anyone at the airport should follow staff to assembly points.
“Flight operations may be temporarily impacted. Please check with your airline for updates. Further info to follow. Thank you for your patience.”
The evacuation is not believed to be linked to the cyber attack affecting major European airports today.
But The Independent’s Simon Calder says the issue is “further bad news” on a difficult day.
“On a day that was already looking difficult for European aviation, this is further bad news.
“Terminal 2 at Dublin is the hub for Aer Lingus - both for UK flights and onward transatlantic connections.”
WATCH: Simon Calder explains the impact of cyber attacks
12:45
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Passenger describes lines 'barely moving' at Heathrow
12:32
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Jan Niemand told The Independent he was supposed to be on the 6:30am flight to Amsterdam, where he was planning to meet his wife for a connection to Johannesburg.
But he also was unable to board after describing queues that “barely moved” at baggage drop.
“The line at baggage drop barely moved, and eventually we were told that the system to check us in was offline,” he said.
“The staff began manual check-ins, but it moved very slowly. The time of the flight, 06:30, came and went and then we were told that the flight had departed.”
He said emotions ranged from “outrage” to jokes being cracked about the situation.
“Eventually, an official ground staff member gathered us together and stated that the flight had departed, and that KLM would be in contact with us from here,” Jan continued.
He said he had been forced to purchase a UK SIM card and, at the time of speaking, was on the phone with KLM to try and arrange an alternative flight.
Brussels airport advises customers to only come to airport if their flight is confirmed
12:30
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Brussels airport has issued advice for customers amid a cyber attack affecting its check-in services on Saturday morning.
The major transport hub said the attack would have a “large” impact on the flight schedule and would “unfortunately” cause delays and cancellations of flights.
In a statement on their website they wrote: “We advise passengers with a flight on Saturday 20 September to:
- check their flight status with their airline before coming to the airport
- and only come to the airport if their flight is confirmed.
- Passengers with a confirmed flight should come to the airport in time (2 hours in advance for a flight withing the Schengen area and 3 hours for a flight outside the Schengen area)
- and follow the information channels of the airport for updates.”
Passengers queue for 'three hours' to check bags in
12:17
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Maria Casey, from Aldershot in Hampshire, was on her way to a two-week backpacking holiday in Krabi, southern Thailand, via Abu Dhabi.
But her Etihad flight departing at 9.30am from Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 4 was delayed and she ended up queuing for three hours as baggage check-in had to be done manually.
“They had to write our baggage tabs by hand,” she told the PA news agency.
“Only two desks were staffed, which is why we were cheesed off.
“Didn’t know then it was a cyber attack until four hours later.
She added: “Just got to go with the flow”.
In pictures: Chaos at Heathrow airport as cyber attack delays flights
12:01
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
‘If Collins can be hacked so easily then you have to question all suppliers’
11:42
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
A leading aviation figure has warned of possible future cyber attacks.
Paul Charles, chief executive of The PC Agency and former communications director of Virgin Atlantic, told The Independent’s Simon Calder: “Many in the industry are surprised that a company of the stature and scale of Collins Aerospace has been victim of such a cyber attack. It is one of the most experienced systems suppliers in the world to airports and airlines, and governments including the UK.”
The attack affected the “Multi-User System Environment” passenger processing system, know as MUSE.
Mr Charles said: “If Collins can be hacked so easily then you have to question all suppliers. I hope they’re able to get the MUSE software affected back online quickly, otherwise flights will be affected for many days to come.”
Flight delays building across Europe
11:30
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Simon Calder takes a look at the situation across Europe...
As airlines and airports struggle to contend with the cyber attack, flight delays across Europe are building – particularly at London Heathrow.
Three key early departures from the UK’s leading airport – to Lisbon, Amsterdam and Paris CDG – left between two and three hours behind schedule, meaning missed connections for many passengers.
Many other flights are delayed by over an hour from Heathrow, including Lufthansa departures to both Frankfurt and Munich; two Brussels Airlines flights to the Belgian capital; Vienna on Austrian Airlines; and Istanbul on Turkish Airlines.
If long-haul connections are missed as a result of delays, the airline must get passengers to their final destinations as soon as possible – and provide meals and accommodation as necessary while passengers are waiting.
Transport secretary 'monitoring situation'
11:14
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has said she is “monitoring the situation” after the cyber attack.
“I’m aware of an incident affecting airline check-in and boarding, impacting flights at Heathrow and other European airports,” she said.
“I’m getting regular updates and monitoring the situation.
“If you’re flying at Heathrow today, check with your airline before travelling.”
'Deep concerns' over cyber attack, travel expert says
11:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Travel expert Paul Charles has been speaking on Sky News this morning. He said it was “staggering” a company the size of Collins Aerospace had been affected by a cyber attack.
“I think there will be deep concerns their systems have been tampered with in such a way,” he said.
He added Collins Aerospace was “at the heart of aviation” and it was “deeply worrying” that its systems had been compromised in such a way.
“I think what’s staggering this morning that somebody the size of Collins has been affected.”
He said the attack would affect traffic for at least the rest of the day, and possibly longer depending on how long it takes to get systems back online.
Nearly 150 flights delayed and 4 cancelled from Heathrow
10:38
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
At least 145 flights have been delayed and 4 cancelled at Heathrow so far this morning, according to FlightRadar24.
However, these cancellations are not understood to be related to the cyber attack.
Cancellations at Brussels airport
10:29
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Simon Calder has been looking at the cancellations from Brussels Airport.
The Belgian capital appears to be hardest hit by the cyber attack.
There were long delays on Friday night, with many departures two hours late or more.
These are the flights that have been cancelled so far:
• Malaga (Friday, Vueling)
• Kigali (Brussels Airlines)
• Amsterdam (KLM)
• Thessaloniki (Aegean)
• Lisbon (TAP Portugal)
The corresponding inbound legs have also been cancelled, meaning a total of 10 grounded flights.
ANALYSIS: What rights do you have to compensation for cancelled flights?
10:15
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
If you are experiencing delays or cancellations at any of the airports affected by Saturday morning’s cyber attack, you may be entitled to some compensation.
Our travel correspondent Simon Calder has everything you need to know below...
EasyJet says airport system issue not expected to impact its Saturday flights
10:00
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
EasyJet said it does not expect a system issue affecting airports including Heathrow and Brussels to impact its flight schedule for the rest of Saturday, after major European airports flagged delays due to a cyber attack.
"We’re aware of an IT system issue affecting a small number of airports,” a spokesperson told Reuters news agency.
“While we are currently operating as normal and do not expect this to impact our flying programme for the remainder of the day, we continue to monitor the situation closely.”
Collins Aerospace issue statement over 'cyber-related disruption'
09:49
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
Collins Aerospace has issued a statement over the “cyber-related disruption” hitting European airports this morning.
They said the impact was affecting “select airports” and is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop.
A spokesperson told The Independent: "Thank you for reaching out. We have become aware of a cyber-related disruption to our MUSE software in select airports. We are actively working to resolve the issue and restore full functionality to our customers as quickly as possible.
“The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations. We will share more details as they are available."
At least four flights cancelled at Brussels airport
09:45
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
At least four flights have been cancelled at Brussels airport on Saturday morning as authorities deal with the fallout of the cyber attack.
These include the 10:25am service to Kigali and the 10:35am KLM flight to Amsterdam.
Who is Collins Aerospace?
09:21
,
Nicole Wootton-Cane
The disruption affecting major European airports on Saturday is linked to a cyber attack on one company, Collins Aerospace.
The American aviation and defence company is owned by parent business RTX, who also control aerospace business Pratt & Whitney and defence contractors Raytheon.
Collins Aerospace provides check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports globally, including those impacted today.
Delays at Berlin airport
09:11
,
Alex Croft
Berlin Airport has warned there will be “longer wait times than usual” due to the cyber attack.
“Due to a technical issue at a system provider operating across Europe, there are longer waiting times at check-in,” it said in a banner on its website.
“We are working on a quick solution.”
Brussels warns of 'large impact' on flight schedule
09:03
,
Alex Croft
Brussels Airport explained in a statement on its website that a cyber attack on Friday night has rendered automated systems inoperable.
Only manual check-in and boarding is available, the airport said.
"This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cause delays and cancellations of flights.
"The service provider is actively working on the issue and trying to resolve the problem as quickly as possible."
Heathrow warns of delays after boarding system-provider disrupted
08:55
,
Alex Croft
London Heathrow has warned that passengers may face delays after a problem with a provider of check-in and boarding systems.
“Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports globally, is experiencing a technical issue that may cause delays for departing passengers,” the airport wrote in a statement.
“While the provider works to resolve the problem quickly, we advise passengers to check their flight status with their airline before travelling.
“Please arrive no earlier than three hours before a long-haul flight or two hours before a domestic flight. Additional colleagues are available in check-in areas to assist and help minimise disruption.
“We apologise for any inconvenience.”
Airport cyberattack causes cancellations and delays across Europe
08:53
,
Alex Croft
A number of airports across Europe, including London Heathrow, are experiencing disruption after a cyber attack on a third party system.
Brussels and Berlin have also been impacted by the attack, which has affected a number of airlines that run globally.
Stay with us as we bring you all the latest updates on the airport disruption throughout the day.