Hundreds of Heathrow flights delayed after cyber attack hits European airports: Live updates

Passengers have been advised to check with their airlines whether flights are still going ahead at Heathrow

Sep 21, 2025 - 09:21

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Hundreds of Heathrow flights delayed after cyber attack hits European airports: Live updates

Hundreds of flights have been delayed and cancelled at Heathrow after a cyber attack targeting a service provider for check-in and boarding systems. has hit European airports.

The attack has rendered automated systems inoperable, allowing only manual check-in and boarding procedures, according to Brussels Airport.

London Heathrow and Berlin airport also said the attack was disrupting their flights, with passengers advised to confirm their travel with airlines before heading to the airport on Saturday.

More than 500 flights were disrupted on Saturday, according to FlightRadar.

Heathrow said that Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in and boarding systems for multiple airlines globally, is “experiencing a technical issue which may cause delays for departing passengers”.

The airport advised travellers to check their flight status with the airline and said it had deployed extra staff into check-in areas to “help minimise disruption”.

Brussels Airport said the cyber attack has had a “large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cause delays and cancellations of flights”.

Collins Aerospace said it is working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

Airlines ‘furious’ after cyber attack hits flights across Europe

Flights have been delayed and cancelled at several European airports after a cyber attack targeting check-in and boarding systems provided by Collins Aerospace. The attack has rendered automated systems inoperable, allowing only manual check-in and boarding procedures, according to Brussels Airport. London Heathrow and Berlin airport also said the attack was disrupting its flights, with passengers advised to confirm their travel with airlines before heading to the airport on Saturday.

Bryony Gooch21 September 2025 04:00

Recap: European Commission 'closely monitoring' cyber attack

The European Commission has said it is “closely monitoring” a cyber attack that caused major disruption at several international airports across Europe – including Heathrow.

Berlin and Brussels airports are also affected by the attack which targeted a technical partner, Collins Aerospace.

“The Commission is closely monitoring the cyber attack that has disrupted airline check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports globally,” a spokesperson for the European Commission, which takes part in managing airspace across Europe, said on Saturday.

“While passengers are facing disruption, aviation safety and air traffic control remain unaffected.

“The Commission is working closely with EUROCONTROL, ENISA, airports and airlines to restore operations and to support passengers.

“Current signs do not indicate a widespread or severe attack.”

Bryony Gooch21 September 2025 03:00

Airports’ cyber attack: What rights do you have to compensation for cancelled flights?

Bryony Gooch21 September 2025 02:00

Watch: Heathrow warns of delays after cyber attack cancels flights at European airports

Heathrow warns of delays after cyber attack cancels flights at European airports

Bryony Gooch21 September 2025 01:00

Over 600 flights from Heathrow disrupted by cyber attack

More than 600 flights from Heathrow have been disrupted by a cyber attack, according to flight tracking data.

FlightRadar have recorded 629 disrupted flights today after a cyber attack on Collins Aerospace led to delays across Europe.

Bryony Gooch21 September 2025 00:00

Collins Aerospace ‘cyber attack’ latest in series of incidents at UK airports

The incident is the latest in a series that have affected UK airports since the start of the year.

Thousands of passengers trying to fly both in and out of the country faced major disruption on Wednesday July 30 after air traffic control (ATC) provider Nats was hit by a technical glitch.

More than 150 flights – 84 departures and 71 arrivals – were cancelled in airports across the UK, with the highest number of cancellations at London’s Heathrow Airport.

A number of inbound flights were also diverted to European cities as a result of the glitch, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Passengers at Stansted Airport also faced long delays and disruption on Sunday May 11 after an IT glitch caused some of the airport’s systems to fail.

The malfunction affected check-in, baggage, and security, with engineers investigating the source of the IT problem saying it may have been related to the systems’ internet access.

On Friday March 21, more than 270,000 air passenger journeys were disrupted by Heathrow airport’s closure following a fire at a nearby electrical substation.

Some 234,000 passengers booked to fly to or from Heathrow that day had their flight cancelled, diverted or delayed when the airport suffered a power outage because of a blaze at the substation in Hayes, aviation industry statistics seen by the PA news agency have showed.

No flights were permitted at the airport on that day until around 6pm.

A further 36,500 people hoping to travel the following day were affected when 74 flights, 6.1% of the total scheduled, were cancelled.

Bryony Gooch20 September 2025 23:00

Passenger says she 'broke down in tears' at Heathrow

Helen Steel, 49, who was trying to fly home with KLM to Oslo via Amsterdam with a cat named Thomas, told the PA news agency she “broke down in tears” after being shouted at by staff at Heathrow Airport amid long queues.

Speaking at a crowded Terminal 4, Ms Steel said: “I started travelling this morning at 3am from Dorset, and they knew about the cyber attack yesterday and didn’t tell us.

“If they just told us that there was a cyber attack, I wouldn’t have travelled up here.

“I’ve got an animal here, so I’m very concerned about his welfare.

“I’ve been shouted at twice and I broke down in tears because I was worried about him.

“None of us have had any information whatsoever. Whenever we ask ground staff, they shout at us.

“They tell us to call customer service – I’ve spent about two hours in a queue on the telephone. I then finally got through to somebody and they put the phone down on me.

“It’s another three hours to get back home and then come back up again if they find a new flight, so now I must go look for a hotel, but I’m still stuck in this queue.”

Nicole Wootton-Cane20 September 2025 22:00

RECAP: Expert warns of 'deeply concerning' cyber attack

A leading aviation figure has called Saturday’s cyber attack “deeply concerning”.

Paul Charles, chief executive of The PC Agency and former communications director of Virgin Atlantic, told The Independent’s Simon Calder: “Many in the industry are surprised that a company of the stature and scale of Collins Aerospace has been victim of such a cyber attack. It is one of the most experienced systems suppliers in the world to airports and airlines, and governments including the UK.”

The attack affected the “Multi-User System Environment” passenger processing system, know as MUSE.

Mr Charles said: “If Collins can be hacked so easily then you have to question all suppliers. I hope they’re able to get the MUSE software affected back online quickly, otherwise flights will be affected for many days to come.”

Nicole Wootton-Cane20 September 2025 21:00

Brussels Airport says half of departing flights tomorrow will be cancelled

Brussels Airport said half the departing flights scheduled for Sunday will need to be cancelled due to ongoing disruption following a cyberattack that hit several European airports.

"Brussels Airport has asked airlines to cancel half of the scheduled departing flights on Sunday 21 September in order to avoid long queues and late cancellations," a spokesperson for the Belgian airport said.

Daniel Keane20 September 2025 20:56