Brussels Airport Requests Cancellation of 50% of Departing Flights.. Heathrow, Berlin Hit by Delays

Flight operations at several of Europe’s busiest airports were thrown into disarray on Saturday after a cyberattack targeted a major provider of airline check-in and boarding systems, forcing staff to process passengers manually and triggering widespread delays and cancellations.

Brussels Airport confirmed late Friday that a cyberattack had struck one of its key IT service providers, affecting operations across multiple European hubs. On Saturday, the airport warned that half of all scheduled departures on Sunday would be cancelled to prevent excessive queues and last-minute disruptions.

London’s Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest, also reported delays after systems provided by Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of RTX, suffered what the company described as a “cyber-related disruption” to its MUSE (Multi-Use System Environment) software. The platform supports electronic check-in, boarding, and baggage handling for airlines and airports worldwide.

The outage disabled self-service kiosks and automated baggage systems, forcing airlines to rely on manual check-in counters. While flights continued to operate, passengers faced extended waiting times and in some cases outright cancellations.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport confirmed longer waiting times due to the disruption, while Dublin and Cork airports in Ireland also reported operational impacts, though on a smaller scale.

In a statement, Collins Aerospace said: “We are actively working to resolve the issue and restore full services for our customers as quickly as possible.” The company’s parent, RTX, acknowledged the cyber-related nature of the disruption but did not specify the full list of affected airports.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority declined to comment, referring questions back to Heathrow Airport. Aviation analysts noted that the incident underscores the heavy reliance of the global airline industry on a handful of IT providers, where a single disruption can ripple across international hubs, straining airlines already operating on tight schedules.

Saturday’s incident comes amid a broader surge in sophisticated cyberattacks against critical sectors worldwide, from healthcare and retail to defense and automotive manufacturing. In recent months, a cyber breach at Jaguar Land Rover forced a halt to production, highlighting the vulnerability of major industries to digital threats.

Passengers traveling through Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin faced significant delays, with airlines urging travelers to check flight statuses in advance and allow additional time for check-in procedures. At Brussels Airport, officials warned that congestion could worsen on Sunday as airlines prepare to cancel hundreds of flights.

The latest disruption adds pressure on Europe’s aviation network, which is still recovering from labor shortages and post-pandemic demand surges, raising fresh concerns over cybersecurity resilience in one of the world’s most interconnected industries.