Heathrow Airport Faces Widespread Flight Disruptions Following System Failure
LONDON – Heathrow Airport is experiencing significant travel disruption after a technical issue impacted its airport check-in systems. The disruption began around 04:00 GMT on Saturday and is expected to continue until 02:00 GMT on Monday, prompting the airport to cancel approximately half of its scheduled flights to and from the facility.
The issue stems from a cyber-attack targeting Collins Aerospace, a company providing critical systems to airlines globally. While the origin of the attack remains under investigation, experts note that recent major hacks have typically been carried out by criminal gangs seeking financial gain through data theft or ransomware.Extortion gangs have reportedly earned hundreds of millions of dollars annually through these methods.
Though unconfirmed reports initially suggested potential Kremlin involvement, authorities are currently investigating all possibilities, including the potential for state-sponsored actors utilizing ransomware. Collins Aerospace has not yet released a public statement regarding the nature or origin of the hack.
The disruption at Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, is especially concerning, according to travel journalist Simon calder. “Any disruption is perhaps serious… departure control is a really complex business,” he told the BBC. Calder further explained the interconnected nature of air travel, noting that even minor issues elsewhere can quickly escalate into widespread problems due to missed connections and displaced personnel.
This incident follows a similar global IT crash in July 2023, caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike, which grounded flights across the United States and highlighted the aviation industry’s vulnerability to digital system failures.
In a separate incident, Dublin Airport’s Terminal 2 briefly closed on Saturday following a security alert triggered by suspicious luggage. Gardaí (Irish police) evacuated the terminal as a “precautionary measure” before reopening it.
Liberal Democrats MP Calum Miller has called on the UK government to investigate potential Kremlin involvement, referencing recent incursions of Russian warplanes into Estonian airspace and questioning whether this cyber-attack represents a broader escalation.
