Heathrow Airport is in chaos as are many European airports following a “very clever cyber-attack” which has affected check-in and boarding systems.
Passengers at Heathrow Airport have at least three-hour long queues after hackers hit Collins Aerospace which provides services for many airports around the world.
Collins Aerospace said they are “experiencing a technical issue which may cause delays for departing passengers,” and the cyber-attack is “limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations.”
The UK’s largest airport has warned of long delays and customers are being advised to check with their airline before flying.
This year Harrods, Marks & Spencer and the Co-op has been targeted by Russian linked group cybercrime group DragonForce and Moscow is believed to behind these “grey zone” attacks, which also affected the US Department of Justice in an “unprecedented” hack.
On Friday three Russian MIG-31 fighter jets violated Estonia’s airspace in yet another incursion into NATO territory, and Estonia wants to now invoke NATO’s Article 4 of the treaty.
Aviation and travel expert Paul Charles said several European airports have been severely disrupted in “a very clever cyber-attack indeed, because it’s affected a number of airlines and airports at the same time.”
He added, “I am really surprised and shocked by this. Collins is owned by RTX, which is the world’s biggest defence and aviation company. Collins supplies the UK government, it supplies other government’s around the world,” he told Sky News.
“There will be deep concerns that their systems have been tampered with in such a way. We don’t know the exact cause of the cyber-attack but it’s deeply worrying.”
A Heathrow spokesperson 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.”
In June the Former Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood has warned the UK is at risk of a “grey zone attack” and urging Brits to stock up on essentials.
The much-respected former MP as issued the warning there could be “covert attacks” to undermine the UK’s infrastructure or even the economy.
Ellwood wrote for PoliticsHome, “What if your phone buzzed with a national emergency alert warning of a swarm drone attack en-route to your city – where would you go? How would you respond?
“These aren’t scenes from a dystopian thriller – they’re real-world scenarios we must now seriously consider.”
He added, “This isn’t speculation – Russia‘s ambassador to the UK recently acknowledged that sensors had been placed in British waters, after several devices washed ashore.”
