Delays Still Persist In European Airports

Dhaka: Major international aviation hubs across Europe, including London Heathrow and Berlin Brandenburg airports, continue to experience operational disruptions due to a suspected cyberattack targeting their check-in systems, resulting in cancellations and delays for thousands of passengers.

Heathrow airport confirmed on Sunday (Sep 21)that efforts are ongoing to“resolve and recover” from the system outage, apologizing to affected travelers.

The UK's busiest airport handles over 200,000 passengers daily and recorded nearly 8 million inbound and outbound travelers in July.

Berlin Brandenburg also reported extended wait times due to a“systems outage.” The airport serves approximately 25.5 million passengers annually, with an average of nearly 70,000 daily.

The aviation sector has seen a rise in cyberattacks and technical failures recently, including incidents at Japan Airlines and American Airlines in late 2024, as well as a suspected sabotage targeting France's national rail network ahead of the Paris Olympics.

In addition to Heathrow and Berlin, Dublin and Cork airports in Ireland reported“minor impacts” from a Europe-wide software issue.

Brussels airport warned of heavy disruptions in check-in operations following the cyberattack on an external service provider.

Passengers are advised to check directly with airlines for flight updates as disruptions may continue throughout the day.

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