Chaos at Heathrow as Cyber-Attack Grounds UK Travellers

Passengers across Europe faced a second day of travel chaos on Sunday, as major airports continued to reel from the effects of a cyber-attack. The incident, which began Friday night, targeted Collins Aerospace, a company that provides critical check-in and baggage drop technology to various airlines, forcing airports to revert to manual operations, Daily Dazzling Dawn realized.

The disruption has caused widespread delays and cancellations at key travel hubs, including London Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin. While airlines and airports have mobilized staff to manage the situation manually, the process has proven slow and inefficient, leading to extensive queues and frustration for travelers.

Heathrow's Ongoing Struggle-London Heathrow, one of Europe's busiest airports, was particularly affected, with more than 130 flights delayed by 20 minutes or more by Sunday morning. The previous day saw 13 cancellations, and though the airport said the "underlying problem was outside our influence," they have deployed extra staff to assist. Heathrow officials stated that work is "actively working to resolve the issue and restore full functionality," but have not provided an estimated timeline for when normal service will resume. The airport is advising passengers to check their flight status before traveling and to arrive no earlier than three hours before long-haul flights and two hours before shorter journeys.

Brussels Airport is also experiencing "difficult airport operations,"with all of its more than 80 flights delayed by midday on Sunday. Delays ranged from 15 minutes to four hours, and 20 flights were cancelled. The airport's statement confirmed that a "cyber-attack on the external service provider" was the cause of the heavy disruption. With no solution in sight, management advises passengers to only travel to the airport if their flight is confirmed and to allow for significant extra time.

Berlin's Long Waiting Times-In Berlin, the situation mirrored that of its European counterparts, with more than 70 flights delayed by midday. The airport’s website acknowledged a "systems outage at a service provider," and advised travelers to use online check-in, self-service check-in, and the fast bag drop service if possible, to mitigate the impact of the long waiting times.

The Road to Normalcy-While the exact nature and origin of the cyber-attack are still under investigation, Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of the global aerospace and defense conglomerate RTX, confirmed it was a "cyber-related disruption" affecting its Muse software. The company has stated it is "actively working to resolve the issue and restore full functionality...as quickly as possible."

However, no official timeline has been given for the full restoration of automated systems. The reliance on manual check-in processes, while helping to keep some flights operational, has created a ripple effect of delays and cancellations that could last for some time. The European Commission has said it is "closely monitoring" the situation but noted that current signs do not indicate a "widespread or severe attack."

The incident joins a growing list of cyber-attacks on major corporations, including Jaguar Land Rover, Marks & Spencer, and the Co-op, highlighting the increasing vulnerability of critical infrastructure to such threats. With the UK transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, monitoring the situation, the focus remains on minimizing disruption and restoring normal operations. Passengers are urged to stay in close contact with their airlines for the most up-to-date information on their specific flights.