Passengers across Europe are grappling with widespread flight delays and cancellations after a ransomware attack over the weekend crippled the check-in and boarding systems at several major airports.

Software provider Collins Aerospace, whose systems support airlines at London Heathrow, Brussels, Berlin, and Dublin, confirmed on Monday that it is finalizing updates to restore full functionality.

Impact on Airport Operations and Passenger Experience
Since Friday’s cyber-attack, airports have struggled to process passengers through automated kiosks and bag-drop machines, forcing staff to resort to manual checks.

At Brussels Airport, 40 of 277 departing flights and 23 of 277 arrivals were cancelled on Monday, with dozens more delayed as security checks and boarding verifications slowed.

Dublin Airport, while reporting no cancellations for the day, warned that further disruptions could not be ruled out and advised passengers to allow extra time.

Heathrow’s “vast majority” of flights were operating normally by Monday afternoon, but boarding queues were notably longer, and travellers were urged to arrive no earlier than three hours before long-haul departures and two hours before short-haul flights.

(source)