Air India on Saturday issued an advisory for its passengers following a cyberattack that targeted check-in and boarding systems at several airports in Europe, including London’s Heathrow. In its advisory, the airline asked the passengers to complete their web check-in before arriving at the airport, adding that its teams are working with the ground staff.
“A third-party passenger system disruption at Heathrow may cause delays in the check-in process. Our ground teams in London are working to minimise inconvenience,” Air India posted on X (previously Twitter). “Passengers flying with us from London today are advised to complete their web check-in before arriving at the airport to help ensure a smooth experience.”
Major cyberattack at European airports
A major cyberattack on Saturday targeted check-in and boarding systems at multiple airports in Europe, causing flight delays and chaos among the passengers. This forced the airports to issue advisories to the passengers, as they also apologised to the flyers for the inconvenience.
Airports apologise for inconvenience
In a statement, Heathrow Airport in London – which is Europe’s busiest airport – said the technical issue has affected a service provider for check-in and boarding systems. “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,” it said.
“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,” the airport added.
Similarly, the Brandenburg Airport in Germany’s Berlin also apologised to the flyers for the inconvenience and said its systems were compromised following a cyberattack.
Meanwhile, Brussels Airport said it was “actively working” to resolve the issue. “There was a cyberattack on Friday night, 19 September, against the service provider for the check-in and boarding systems affecting several European airports, including Brussels Airport,” it said in a statement.
