Cyber attack on Collins Aerospace disrupts European airports

What happened

An attack on Collins Aerospace's check-in and boarding systems caused delays and cancellations at airports including Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin on 20 September 2025, Reuters reported. The affected software was shared by different airlines and terminals, which multiplied the scope of the incident.

The impact was felt at several European airports simultaneously because they all relied on the same technology platform for critical passenger operations.

What it means for a mid-sized business

The case shows how technology concentration can spread a failure across organisations that, on the surface, have no direct relationship with each other. When several customers depend on the same critical software vendor, a single incident can paralyse operations in a chain.

For critical services, it is worth identifying which common vendors a business shares with its customers or partners, and designing alternative procedures that allow operations to continue, even in a limited way, if that vendor fails.

What to review

Measures to reduce the impact of a shared vendor failure:

• Which critical software vendors are shared with other organisations in the same sector.
• Whether a manual or degraded procedure exists for essential operations when the main system fails.
• How long operations can be sustained in degraded mode before a serious impact occurs.
• Whether those alternative procedures have actually been rehearsed, not just documented.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of systems were affected?

Passenger check-in and boarding systems shared by different airlines and terminals.

Why did it affect several airports at once?

Because different airports and airlines depended on the same Collins Aerospace technology platform.

What lesson applies to other sectors?

That it is worth identifying shared technology vendors with third parties and having a tested degraded procedure for critical operations.