Berlin: Disruption at airports in Berlin and other European cities persisted on Monday, with 70% of departures from the German capital facing delays, as authorities confirmed the outage was due to a ‘ransomware attack.’
According to Ghana News Agency, Eurocontrol, Europe’s air traffic management body, reported that only 30% of flights left Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) on Monday morning with less than 15 minutes’ delay. The situation was more severe at Brussels Airport, which first reported significant impacts from the cyberattack on Friday, with only 15% of flights operating without disruptions. In response, the airport requested airlines to cancel half of Monday’s scheduled departures and advised passengers to arrive two to three hours before take-off.
Other major airports, including Dublin and London Heathrow, also experienced minor disruptions, primarily affecting check-in and luggage drop-off services. The cyberattack targeted IT service provider Collins Aerospace late on Friday, leading to widespread issues. The Athens-based European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) confirmed to dpa that the incident was indeed a ransomware attack, though the source of the attack and any ransom demands remain unclear.
Ransomware attacks have posed significant threats to companies and public institutions for years, with public infrastructure such as transport systems being particularly vulnerable due to their essential role in daily life. The delays in Berlin on Monday were exacerbated by an unusually busy day at BER, as thousands of runners were flying home after participating in the city’s renowned marathon on Sunday. A BER spokesman told dpa that around 95,000 passengers were expected, significantly higher than the typical Monday average of 75,000-85,000.
Despite the challenges, only a few flights were cancelled, though the airport urged travellers to check in online and use self-service kiosks for luggage drop-off where possible. Delays are expected to continue as Collins Aerospace works to fully restore its systems. A BER spokesman emphasized the importance of ensuring all malware programs are removed before reconnecting their system.