Cyber ​​attack on airports: NRW travels carefree, Berlin stalls!

Cyber ​​attack on airports: NRW travels carefree, Berlin stalls!

A cyber attack on passenger processing systems has disrupted operations at several European airports in recent days. Berlin-Brandenburg Airport and Brussels Airport were particularly affected. The disruption was directed at Collins Aerospace, a service provider responsible for the handling systems. As the Borken newspaper reported, North Rhine-Westphalia itself was largely spared.

Travelers at Münster/Osnabrück Airport felt the effects of the attack, but reacted quickly. The IT department was able to disconnect the systems from the affected service provider within 30 minutes. A spokeswoman said that passengers were unaware of the difficulties. In addition, the other major airports in North Rhine-Westphalia, including Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Dortmund, Weeze and Paderborn/Lippstadt, were not affected.

Delays and backlogs

In Berlin, however, there were significant delays at BER Airport. Passengers had to prepare for longer waiting times during check-in and boarding. The airport crisis team was quickly set up and it was noted that online check-in continued to work. Although some flights were delayed, many were still able to take off on schedule, like the APA informed. In Brussels, ten flights were canceled and numerous others were reported to be over an hour late.

London Heathrow Airport also struggled with technical problems. According to a report by the daily news There were a number of delays that posed challenges for travelers.

Reactions and security situation

The British Transport Minister Heidi Alexander was informed about the situation. There were concerns about passenger safety, but the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) gave the all-clear: aviation safety was not affected. The disruption specifically affected electronic systems for check-in and baggage drop-off. Manual passenger processing operations are still possible, which is of great importance in times of technical disruptions.

The situation remains tense and it is unclear whether other European airports were affected by the cyberattack. So far there have been no further reports of problems at other locations. Travelers are encouraged to check with their airlines about the status of their flights and to allow enough time at the airport.