Anna Hartz
Ransomware Attack Disrupts Major European Airports
Air travel already tests people’s patience. Delays, long lines, and security checks are enough to frustrate even the calmest travelers.
But now airports face a new kind of disruption. Cyberattacks are becoming a growing threat, and the latest case has shown how quickly they can bring chaos to thousands of passengers.
Cyberattack on European Airports
The European Union’s cybersecurity agency says it is investigating a ransomware attack that hit several major airports, according to Digi24.
Hackers reportedly used malicious software to block check-in and boarding systems. The attack, discovered on Friday, left airports struggling to restore normal operations through the weekend.
Officials say the ransomware has been identified, and law enforcement agencies are involved. It is still unclear who carried out the attack. Such criminal groups often lock down systems and demand payment in bitcoin to release them.
Forced to Switch to Manual Check-in
Internal documents seen by the BBC show Heathrow staff were told to switch to manual check-in and boarding while systems were being restored.
Heathrow confirmed it was still working on the problem on Sunday and apologized for delays, although most flights continued to operate.
Passengers were advised to check flight updates before arriving.
Flights Cancelled
Other airports reported similar struggles. Brussels Airport canceled nearly half of its scheduled flights for Monday, saying it was unclear when services would return to normal. In Berlin, some airlines were still boarding passengers by hand.
They Targeted Muse
The attack appears to have targeted Muse, a widely used check-in program developed by Collins Aerospace.
The company has not explained how the breach happened. It called the event a “cyber incident” and said on Monday that updates were nearly complete.
But internal memos suggest hackers may still have been inside the network even after systems were rebooted.
Rising Attacks in the Aviation Sector
Cyberattacks on aviation have been rising sharply. A report by Thales, a French aerospace company, said incidents in this sector grew by 600 percent in the past year.
The British retailer Marks and Spencer also faced a costly ransomware attack earlier this year, losing hundreds of millions of pounds.
Experts warn that organized cybercrime is a lucrative business, and airports are high-value targets.
The latest attack shows how digital threats can cause as much disruption as storms or strikes.
This article is made and published by Anna Hartz, which may have used AI in the preparation
