The disruption is the latest in a string of hacks targeting governments and companies across the world, hitting sectors from healthcare and defence to retail and autos. A recent breach at luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover brought its production to a halt.

What was impacted in the cyberattack?

“The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations,” RTX said in a statement, adding that it was working to fix the issue as quickly as possible.

People stand in a line to check in after the attack caused delays at Brussels International Airport. Source: AP / Harry Nakos

A European Commission spokesperson said there were currently no indications of a “widespread or severe attack” and that the origin of the incident was still under investigation.

Who was behind the attack?

Rafe Pilling, director of threat intelligence at cybersecurity company Sophos, said the impact of the incident highlighted “the fragile and interdependent nature of the digital ecosystem underpinning air travel”.

Several breach-tracking websites have previously said that Collins Aerospace was hit by ransom-seeking hackers in 2023.

Aviation industry ‘prime target’ for cyber attacks

“From airlines and airports to navigation systems and suppliers, every link in the chain is vulnerable to attack,” the report warned, pointing out that the strategically and economically important sector had become a “prime target” for cyber attacks.