Heathrow said the ‘vast majority’ of its flights are operating normally today following a cyber attack over the weekend, but it warned that check-in and boarding ‘might take longer than usual’.
Several airports were affected by the attack, which knocked out check-in systems at Brussels, Dublin, Berlin Brandenburg, Frankfurt, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Munich airports as well as Heathrow.
The attack on the US tech firm Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in services, meant that airlines had to resort to writing out boarding passes by hand.
It led to multiple flight cancellations and delays on Saturday, with knock-on effects on Sunday.
A Heathrow spokesperson told Travel Gossip this morning: “The vast majority of flights at Heathrow are operating as normal, although check-in and boarding for some flights may take slightly longer than usual.”
They added: “This system is not owned or operated by Heathrow, so whilst we cannot resolve the IT issue directly, we are supporting airlines and have additional colleagues in the terminals to assist passengers.
“We encourage passengers to check the status of their flight before travelling to Heathrow and to arrive no earlier than three hours for long-haul flights and two hours for shorthaul.”
Meanwhile, Brussels Airport has cancelled 40 of its 277 departures today – including a British Airways flight to Heathrow – and 23 of its 277 arrivals.
A Brussels Airport spokesperson told Travel Gossip: “It is not yet clear when we will be able to switch back to the normal check-in and boarding system.” The airport is continuing to use laptops and iPads to check in passengers.
The National Cyber Security Centre is working with Collins Aerospace, affected UK airports and the Department for Transport, to ‘fully understand the impact’ of the attack.
