Continued disruptions at European airports; Cybersecurity Agency issues statement

On Monday, September 22, the EU Cybersecurity Agency announced that the recent airport disruptions—affecting automated check-in systems—were the result of a ransomware attack.

Operations and flights at several major European airports continued to face disruptions on Monday.

The agency stated that hackers are using ransomware to create chaos at airports across Europe.

Following the recent cyberattack, which crippled airports’ automated entry and exit software, several of Europe’s busiest airports have spent the past few days attempting to restore normal operations.

The agency’s statement said that the type of ransomware had been identified and investigators are analyzing it.

London’s Heathrow Airport announced that it is still working to resolve the issue and apologized to passengers facing travel delays.

While the problem has eased significantly in Berlin and Heathrow, delays and cancellations continue.

Brussels Airport, also affected, stated that its service provider is actively working on the issue but it remains unclear when it will be resolved.

Brussels Airport asked airlines to cancel nearly 140 of their 276 scheduled outbound flights for Monday.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Berlin Airport said that some airlines are still boarding passengers manually, and there is no indication yet of when the system will be fully restored.