Cyberattack disrupts check-in systems at European airports

While the impact on travellers appeared to be limited, experts said the intrusion exposed vulnerabilities in security systems

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A cyberattack targeting check-in and boarding systems disrupted air traffic and caused delays at several of Europe's major airports on Saturday.

While the impact on travellers appeared to be limited, experts said the intrusion exposed vulnerabilities in security systems.

British transport minister Heidi Alexander said on Saturday that she was getting regular updates on an incident affecting airline check-in and boarding which was impacting flights at Heathrow and other European airports.

The disruptions to electronic systems initially reported at Brussels, Berlin's Brandenburg and London's Heathrow airports meant that only manual check-in and boarding was possible. Many other European airports said their operations were unaffected.

"There was a cyberattack on Friday night 19 September against the service provider for the check-in and boarding systems affecting several European airports including Brussels Airport," said Brussels Airport in a statement, initially reporting a "large impact" on flight schedules.

Airports said the issue centered around a provider of check-in and boarding systems-not airlines or the airports themselves.

Collins Aerospace, whose systems help passengers check themselves in, print boarding passes and bag tags and dispatch their luggage from a kiosk, cited a "cyber-related disruption" to its MUSE (Multi-User System Environment) software at "select airports."