LONDON/AMERICA NEWS WORLD – In a major blow to transatlantic travel, a sophisticated cyberattack has paralyzed check-in and boarding systems at several key European airports, triggering widespread flight delays, cancellations, and hours-long queues for thousands of passengers. The incident, which unfolded overnight into Saturday, September 20, 2025, targeted Collins Aerospace, a U.S.-based subsidiary of RTX Corporation that powers automated passenger services for airlines worldwide. While the exact perpetrators remain unknown, the disruption has rippled across the continent, underscoring the fragility of global aviation infrastructure amid rising geopolitical tensions.
Travellers wait in queues at Brussels airport, after a cyberattack at a service provider for check-in and boarding systems disrupted operations at several major European airports. (Reuters)
London’s Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest gateway and a vital hub for flights to the U.S., was among the first to sound the alarm. “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 stated on its website, urging travelers to check flight statuses via their carriers before heading out. By midday, reports from the ground painted a picture of gridlock: frustrated families with young children waited in snaking lines for manual processing, while business executives missed connections to New York and Chicago. One American tourist, speaking to ITV News amid the scrum, described the scene as “absolute pandemonium – like trying to board a flight with a typewriter from the 1950s.” 2
The fallout extended far beyond the British capital. At Brussels Airport, the impact was even more severe, with automated kiosks for self-check-in and bag-drop rendered useless. Officials confirmed the cyber intrusion forced a shift to paper-based procedures, slashing departure capacity by up to 50% during peak morning hours. “This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cause delays and cancellations of flights,” the airport announced, estimating thousands affected as inbound flights from the U.S. East Coast circled overhead. Reuters captured the human toll: weary travelers slumped on floors, laptops open to frantic airline apps, while airport staff – outnumbered and overwhelmed – scribbled boarding passes by hand. 1 In a stark reminder of the attack’s reach, Brussels requested airlines to axe half of all flights between 4 a.m. and noon UTC, a move that stranded passengers en route from Washington Dulles and Atlanta. 0
Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport (BER) joined the fray, posting a stark banner on its site: “Due to a technical issue at a system provider operating across Europe, there are longer waiting times at check-in. We are working on a quick solution.” The disruption hit hardest for short-haul routes, with Lufthansa and Ryanair flights to U.S. gateways like Philadelphia facing cascading delays. Social media buzzed with real-time outrage – X users shared photos of mile-long queues and tagged #CyberAttackHeathrow, one viral post quipping, “Europe’s skies are grounded, but hackers are flying high.” 13 By afternoon, at least a dozen cancellations were confirmed, stranding Americans on layovers and forcing reroutes through unaffected hubs.
Collins Aerospace, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, swiftly acknowledged the breach in a terse statement: “We have become aware of a cyber-related disruption to our MUSE software in select airports and are actively working to resolve the issue and restore full functionality to our customers as quickly as possible.” The MUSE system – short for Multi-User System Environment – is the digital backbone for self-service kiosks that handle everything from passport scans to luggage tagging, serving over 200 airlines globally. RTX, the parent giant behind defense tech like Raytheon missiles, emphasized that manual operations remained viable, but experts warn the attack exposes a single point of failure in an industry still recovering from pandemic-era vulnerabilities. 3 8
Not all European skies were darkened. Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s massive cargo and passenger behemoth, reported smooth sailing: “No impact from the incident,” a spokesperson told Politico, crediting diversified tech suppliers. 3 Zurich followed suit, with its operations center confirming zero disruptions – a small mercy for Swiss-bound flights from Boston and Miami. Yet, the selective targeting has fueled speculation: Cybersecurity analysts on X pointed fingers at state actors, with one thread alleging “Russian fingerprints” amid escalating NATO tensions over Ukraine. 11 Others dismissed it as opportunistic ransomware, echoing the 2021 Colonial Pipeline hack that rattled U.S. fuel supplies.
For American travelers – who account for nearly 20% of Heathrow’s traffic – the timing couldn’t be worse. With fall foliage tours and business summits looming, airlines like British Airways and United issued waivers for rebookings, but not without pain: Fares on alternate routes spiked 30% overnight, per travel aggregators. “This isn’t just a European headache; it’s a direct hit to U.S.-EU connectivity,” said aviation consultant Elena Vasquez in a ANW interview, noting potential echoes in American hubs if the breach spreads. 7
As teams from Collins and airport IT crews race against the clock, passengers are advised to arrive three hours early, pack light, and monitor apps religiously. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has activated its crisis protocol, coordinating with U.S. counterparts at the FAA. In an era of hybrid warfare, this cyber salvo serves as a chilling wake-up: The skies may be friendly, but the digital underbelly is anything