Flights have been delayed and cancelled at airports including Heathrow after an alleged cyber attack targeted a service provider for check-in and boarding systems.
London Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin airports are all experiencing delays and disruption following the “technical issue” affecting Collins Aerospace, which works for several airlines at multiple airports across the world.
Heathrow said passengers should check their flight status before travelling to the west London airport.
Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports globally, is experiencing a technical issue that may cause delays for departing passengers.
— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) September 20, 2025
While the provider works to resolve the problem quickly, we advise… pic.twitter.com/f68e9CbIlu
Heathrow said: “Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports globally, is experiencing a technical issue that may cause delays for departing passengers.
“While the provider works to resolve the problem quickly, we advise passengers to check their flight status with their airline before travelling.
“Please arrive no earlier than three hours before a long-haul flight or two hours before a domestic flight.
“Additional colleagues are available in check-in areas to assist and help minimise disruption. We apologise for any inconvenience.”
Brussels Airport said: “There was a cyber attack on Friday night September 19 against the service provider for the check-in and boarding systems affecting several European airports, including Brussels Airport.
“This means that at the moment only manual check-in and boarding is possible.
“The service provider is actively working on the issue and trying to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.
“This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cause delays and cancellations of flights.”
Brussels Airport has advised passengers to check their flight status with their airline and only travel to the airport if their flight is confirmed.
A statement on the Berlin Airport website said: “Due to a technical issue at a system provider operating across Europe, there are longer waiting times at check-in.
“We are working on a quick solution.”
Collins Aerospace has been approached for comment.
Key Points
- Heathrow urges passengers to check flights as check-in system hit by outage
- 129 Heathrow flights delayed today, live data shows
- Collins Aerospace confirms ‘cyber-related disruption’ hitting Heathrow flights
Pictured: People queue at Heathrow after check-in system cyber attack
11:36 , Sami Quadri
Transport Secretary urges Heathrow passengers to check flight status amid delays
11:24 , Sami QuadriI'm aware of an incident affecting airline check-in and boarding, impacting flights at Heathrow and other European airports.
— Heidi Alexander MP (@Heidi_Labour) September 20, 2025
I’m getting regular updates, and monitoring the situation. If you’re flying at Heathrow today, check with your airline before travelling. https://t.co/DbcWPZZXLO
Passenger describes ‘insane’ Heathrow queues after global check-in outage
11:18 , Sami QuadriFreelance journalist Tereza Pultarova, from London, arrived at Heathrow Airport in the early hours of Saturday morning to catch a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight to Amsterdam, where she was due to connect to Cape Town, South Africa.
But instead of a smooth departure, she was met with queues, delays and confusion about whether she would make her trip at all.
She told the PA news agency: “We’ve been here since 4.30am — we were supposed to be on a 6.30am flight to Amsterdam.
“Most people on this flight have connecting flights to catch in Amsterdam from all over the world.
“We were kind of stranded here because the weird thing is, KLM wasn’t able to issue us boarding passes digitally, and requested us to collect them at the check-in desk.
“And then they told us that there is some sort of global issue with the system they’re using for check-in and boarding, and they have to do everything manually.
“So then they were checking in people at the rate of, like, one person per 10 minutes.
“I’m not exaggerating. It was just insane, the queue wasn’t moving.
“And then suddenly they said, ‘Oh, the flight will be departing, we’re closing the gate’.
“So they checked-in like 20 people, maybe like the business class, and then told the people from the 6.30 flight to just go away, that they need to start checking in for the 8.40 flight.”
Ms Pultarova had been due to visit the Square Kilometre Array telescopes in the Karoo Desert for work, a trip she had been anticipating for months.
“I need to be there at 7am tomorrow, otherwise the party will leave for the Karoo Desert where the telescopes are.
“So yeah, you know, I need to have information, but nobody’s giving me any information, so I don’t know what to do.”
Eventually, Ms Pultarova was told she could take a 3.30pm flight — but this meant she would miss her Amsterdam connection.
129 Heathrow flights delayed today, live data shows
10:47 , Sami QuadriA total of 129 flights have been delayed at London Heathrow so far today, according to live data from flight-tracking website FlightAware.
The delays follow a “cyber-related disruption” at Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in and boarding systems to airlines worldwide. The outage has forced staff at multiple airports to carry out manual check-in procedures, leading to queues and slower boarding.
Heathrow has urged passengers to check the status of their flight before travelling and to arrive no earlier than three hours before a long-haul flight or two hours before a domestic service.
What is Collins Aerospace?
10:32 , Sami QuadriCollins Aerospace is a US-based aviation and defence company that supplies technology to airlines and airports worldwide. It is part of RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon Technologies).
One of its key products, ARINC cMUSE, is a common-use passenger processing system that powers check-in desks, boarding gates and baggage drop operations at many airports.
Today, Collins Aerospace confirmed it is dealing with a “cyber-related disruption” affecting its systems at “select airports.” The issue is impacting electronic check-in and baggage drop, forcing staff to switch to manual procedures.
This has led to longer queues and flight delays at Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin airports.
Collins Aerospace confirms ‘cyber-related disruption’ hitting Heathrow flights
10:10 , Sami QuadriA service provider for check-in and boarding systems has said it is working to resolve technical issues following a “cyber-related disruption” causing delays and cancellations at airports in the UK and Europe.
The disruption is affecting flights at Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels airports.
Collins Aerospace said on Saturday: “We have become aware of a cyber-related disruption to our Muse software in select airports.
“We are actively working to resolve the issue and restore full functionality to our customers as quickly as possible.
“The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations.
“We will share more details as they are available.”
Heathrow departure delays now averaging 31 minutes, data shows
09:52 , Sami QuadriFlights departing from Heathrow are now facing average delays of 31 minutes – and rising – according to live data from FlightAware.
The disruption comes after a cyber attack hit Collins Aerospace, the global provider of airline check-in and boarding systems. The outage has forced staff at multiple airports to switch to manual procedures, leading to longer queues and slower boarding times.
Heathrow has urged passengers to check the status of their flights before travelling to the airport and to arrive no earlier than three hours before a long-haul flight or two hours before a domestic service.
We’ll continue monitoring FlightAware for the latest delay statistics and bring you updates as the situation develops.
Heathrow urges passengers to check flights as check-in system hit by outage
09:46 , Sami QuadriHeathrow Airport said passengers should check their flight status before travelling to the west London airport after “a technical issue” affected a service provider for check-in and boarding systems.
In a statement, Heathrow said: “Collins Aerospace, which provides check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports globally, is experiencing a technical issue that may cause delays for departing passengers.
“While the provider works to resolve the problem quickly, we advise passengers to check their flight status with their airline before travelling.
“Please arrive no earlier than three hours before a long-haul flight or two hours before a domestic flight. Additional colleagues are available in check-in areas to assist and help minimise disruption.
“We apologise for any inconvenience.”
What we know so far about the cyber attack causing Heathrow delays
09:38 , Sami QuadriWelcome to our live coverage of disruption at Heathrow Airport after a cyber attack hit check-in systems across Europe.
Passengers at Heathrow are facing delays this afternoon after a “technical issue” at a third-party supplier caused widespread problems for airlines.
The disruption is being linked to a cyber attack targeting Collins Aerospace, a company that provides check-in and boarding systems to multiple airlines worldwide.
Brussels Airport has confirmed 10 flights have been cancelled and at least 17 are delayed by more than an hour. Staff have switched to manual check-in procedures, causing long queues.
“It is still too early to say when the problem will be resolved,” Brussels Airport said in a statement, warning of “a large impact” on flight schedules.
Berlin Airport is also experiencing delays, and London’s Heathrow has urged passengers to check flight statuses before travelling.
We’ll bring you updates on flight cancellations, statements from airports and tips for affected travellers as this story develops.
