By Huda Ata
Copyright gulfnews
Dubai: Air travel across several major European hubs was thrown into chaos on Saturday after a cyberattack on a key passenger check-in systems provider forced airports to switch to manual procedures, leading to long queues, delays, and cancellations.Berlin-Brandenburg Airport confirmed the attack struck on Friday evening, targeting an external technology provider rather than the airport itself. As a precaution, the airport disconnected the affected systems, slowing down check-in and boarding. Passengers faced long waits, and multiple flights were delayed.The disruption quickly spread beyond Germany. Brussels Airport reported “serious consequences” for operations, warning of delays and possible cancellations. Check-in and boarding were being conducted manually, resulting in heavy congestion in departure halls. The airport urged travellers to check flight status with airlines before heading to the airport and to arrive early if flights were confirmed.London’s Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, also acknowledged potential delays, citing a “technical problem” linked to an external service provider. Officials said work was underway to restore normal operations but gave no details on the scale of the impact.Local media reported it remains unclear who carried out the attack or what the motive was. Emergency cybersecurity teams from the affected provider are working with airports to contain the breach, assess damage, and restore systems.
