Passengers not sure when they will be able to get onto a flight are sitting on the floor at crowded terminals, as Heathrow staff do their best to manage queues
Heathrow cyber attack cancels flights
A woman trying to fly with her pet cat from Heathrow Airport said she “broke down in tears” after being shouted at twice by staff at the airport amid the chaos caused by a cyber attack. There are long queues at the check-in area of Heathrow Terminal 4 on Saturday (September 20) due as flights have been delayed and cancelled due to the technical issues with check-in and boarding systems.
Many passengers have resorted to sitting on the floor with limited seats left in the crowded terminal, as airport staff attempt to manage the snaking queues. Helen Steel, 49, who is trying to fly with KLM to Oslo via Amsterdam with a cat named Thomas, said her experience at the airport had been an “absolute nightmare”.
Speaking at a crowded Terminal 4, Ms Steel told the PA news agency: “I started travelling this morning at 3am from Dorset, and they knew about the cyber attack yesterday and didn’t tell us. If they just told us that there was a cyber attack, I wouldn’t have travelled up here.
“I’ve got an animal here, so I’m very concerned about his welfare. I’ve been shouted at twice and I broke down in tears because I was worried about him. None of us have had any information whatsoever. Whenever we ask ground staff, they shout at us.
“They tell us to call customer service – I’ve spent about two hours in a queue on the telephone. I then finally got through to somebody and they put the phone down on me. It’s another three hours to get back home and then come back up again if they find a new flight, so now I must go look for a hotel, but I’m still stuck in this queue.”
Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin airports are all experiencing delays and disruption following the cyber attack affecting Collins Aerospace, which works for several airlines at multiple airports across the world. Heathrow said passengers should check their flight status before travelling.
Heathrow statement to all passengers
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. This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cause delays and cancellations of flights.”
A statement on the Berlin Airport website said there are longer waiting times at check-in. Collins Aerospace said it is working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
It said: “We have become aware of a cyber-related disruption to our Muse (Multi-User System Environment) 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.”
National Cyber Security Centre advice
A National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) spokesman said: “We are working with Collins Aerospace and affected UK airports, alongside Department for Transport and law enforcement colleagues, to fully understand the impact of an incident.
“All organisations are urged to make use of the NCSC’s free guidance, services and tools to help reduce the chances of a cyber attack and bolster their resilience in the face of online threats.”
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