Large-scale cyber attack causes delays and cancellations at European airports

Following a large-scale nighttime air attack on Ukraine, which this time involved Russian military aircraft violating the airspace of Poland and Estonia, many European airports faced a large-scale cyberattack that blocked the operation of the electronic booking and ticketing system. Dozens of flights were delayed or cancelled as a result of the incident. Passengers reported long queues, problems with check-in and boarding.

Judging by reports in the European press, the airports in Belgium and Germany were the most affected, and as they are at the centre of European air transport routes, these problems caused a cascade of disruptions in logistics across Europe. Even domestic flights in other European countries were reportedly disrupted.

Representatives of the airlines confirmed that the technical problems were related to IT systems, and an investigation is underway. European law enforcement agencies, including cybersecurity experts, are involved in the investigation. Some flights have now been resumed, but the full remediation will take a long time.

Although the source of the attack has not been officially confirmed, experts suggest that it may be part of a wider wave of cyberattacks on European transport hubs. Until the investigation is complete, it is premature to draw conclusions about who might be behind this, but objectively, only one country is actively trying to destabilise the situation in Europe.