Airport check-in system disruptions across Europe were caused by a ransomware attack, according to the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA).
The cyberattack led to delays at London Heathrow, Brussels, Dublin, and Berlin airports over the weekend after check-in kiosks were taken offline. The attack targeted Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in and baggage systems.
“The type of ransomware has been identified. Law enforcement is involved to investigate,” said ENISA.
ENISA did not say if it had identified the origin of the ransomware attack. During ransomware attacks, an attacker locks the victim’s software until a ransom is paid.
London Heathrow reported 1,347 flights were delayed from Saturday to Monday, according to FlightAware.
Disruptions at Dublin Airport have extended into a third day, with airlines operating in its Terminal 2 issuing boarding passes manually. Nearly 1,100 flights were delayed at Dublin Airport from Saturday to Monday, having also been disrupted by an evacuation after a passenger’s luggage triggered a security alert.
Check-in systems at Berlin and Brussels airports had similarly not been restored by Monday.
Collins Aerospace’s cMUSE software, which allows multiple airlines to share check-in desks and boarding gate positions, was impacted by the attack. The company said it was working with the four affected airports, and was in the final stages of restoring its software.
Collins Aerospace parent RTX’s (NYSE: RTX) share price closed at US$159.43, up 0.8% from its previous close at $158.21. Its market capitalisation is $213.4 billion.
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