Heathrow Airport provided an update following delays experienced by passengers due to issues with the check-in and boarding systems on the previous day.
Passengers faced significant delays over the weekend at the Airport due to a cyberattack on a service provider. The technical problems resulted in warnings of potential delays for travelers.
The disruptions began on Friday evening and persisted through Saturday, leading to flight cancellations and delays as affected airlines had to resort to manual check-in and boarding procedures.
British Airways operations at Terminal 5 remained unaffected and operated normally. However, approximately 14 flights were canceled or delayed across other terminals on Saturday, with the exact impact of the technical issue on these flights not specified.
Collins Aerospace, the service provider, acknowledged the issue on Saturday and assured that efforts were underway to resolve it promptly. The disruption primarily affected electronic customer check-in and baggage drop services, which were being managed through manual check-in processes.
Heathrow Airport’s website informed passengers on September 21 that work was ongoing to address the previous day’s outage of the Collins Aerospace airline system, emphasizing that most flights continued to operate. Travelers were advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport and to arrive no more than three hours early for long-haul flights and two hours for short-haul flights.
The cyberattack on the external service provider impacted check-in operations at various European airports, including Brussels Airport. Collins Aerospace, serving multiple airlines worldwide, was experiencing system issues, causing operational challenges.
A statement on the Brussels Airport website alerted passengers to expect challenging airport operations and flight disruptions on September 20 and 21. The service provider was actively working to resolve the problem swiftly.
The European Commission confirmed close monitoring of the cyberattack, emphasizing that while passengers faced disruptions, aviation safety and air traffic control remained unaffected. Collaborative efforts with EUROCONTROL, ENISA, airports, and airlines were underway to restore operations and assist affected passengers, with no indications of a widespread or severe attack reported.
For those impacted by the disruptions, inquiries could be directed via email to webnews@mirror.co.uk.
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