RUSSIANS are “without a doubt” behind today’s massive cyberattack that struck major UK and European airports, experts claimed.
Hackers targeted the check-in and boarding systems overnight, severely disrupting operations at Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin airports.
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It crippled the automated systems, making them inoperable, according to Brussels Airport.
Airport staff are now forced to do manual check-in and boarding procedures, causing massive delays and even cancellations.
“This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cause delays and cancellations of flights,” the operator said in a statement published on its website.
London Heathrow – Europe’s busiest airport – also warned of delays caused by “a technical issue” at a third-party supplier called Collins Aerospace.
Western experts and security analysts believe it was a Moscow-sponsored attack targeting Nato countries.
Security and politics expert Anthony Glees told The Sun that it is an attempt by Russia to show that Putin can take out the critical Western infrastructure “at will”.
He added: “Without doubt, the Russians are behind these attacks on airports in London, Berlin and Brussels.
“No one can doubt that Putin’s strategic planners are the beneficiaries here because they have been able to demonstrate they can attack our cyberspace with impunity and at will.”
Security specialist Will Geddes told The Sun that “it’s very likely Russia is behind the devastating cyberattack”, which he said was “one of the worst” against Western countries.
Collins Aerospace is one of the world’s top aviation and defence firms – and a security breach in a company of this stature is deeply worrying.
The company is also a software contractor for many military airports operating for Nato.
Mr Geddes added: “One possible connector which links the attack to the Russians could be Collins Aerospace, which secured a considerable deal from Nato.
“So, one could draw a line that Collins Aerospace’s success in winning this contract for Nato could have some correlation to this cyber attack.”
Mr Glees agreed, adding: “Yes, civilian airports were the target but Collins also supplies and services Nato’s military airports.
“I fear Putin wants to prove he can take out the critical national infrastructure of Russia’s foremost opponents at will.
“Over the past few days, Russia has been testing Nato’s readiness to protect its territory and, if necessary, to defend its members with force.
“Putin has been playing chicken with it: trying to find out how far he can impose Russian control over our airspace and cyberspace.”
The attack came less than 24 hours after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonia’s airspace “without clearance” – triggering an emergency Nato meeting.
What is Collins Aerospace?
COLLINS Aerospace is one of the world’s biggest aviation and defence giants, providing everything from flight control systems to cutting-edge cyber tech.
The US-based firm, owned by RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies), counts both civilian and military airports among its clients – including Nato hubs.
Its software underpins critical airport functions such as check-in, boarding and air traffic management.
That makes it a vital cog in the West’s transport and defence machine – and a juicy target for hostile states.
Experts say its recent multi-million contract with Nato to supply and service military airbases could explain why Kremlin hackers had the company in their crosshairs.
By striking Collins, Moscow can cause chaos for ordinary travellers while sending a chilling message that even Nato’s frontline infrastructure is vulnerable.
It was one of the many Russian incursions into Nato airspace in the past few weeks.
Meanwhile, Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN, told The Sun that the fallout from the attack could “last for days”.
At least 10 flights were cancelled out of Brussels Airport and another 17 were delayed by over an hour after the systems were hit.
Passengers travelling today have been advised to arrive in plenty of time to allow for delays at check-in.
Authorities suggested that passengers should arrive two hours in advance for flights within the Schengen zone and three hours early for those travelling outside the area.
Mr Warmenhoven said: “Even though airports are switching to manual check-ins, that’s a slow and clunky process compared to automated systems.
“The backlog of delayed flights, stranded crews and missed connections will take time to clear, so passengers should expect disruption well into the weekend.
“For a hub like Heathrow, even a few hours offline can ripple through the entire weekend’s schedule.”
The expert added: “The real destruction is disruption. Flights get delayed or cancelled, crews and planes end up in the wrong place, and passengers lose confidence in the system.
“It shows how one hacked supplier can cause havoc far beyond the airport itself.”
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Frustated passengers stood in long queues, desperately waiting to catch their flights.
Derine, 19, told The Sun: “I just flew in from Malta. I’m meant to be flying to Ireland for University.
“There has not been much information about my next flight, but when we arrived, the plane just circled the runway about five times.
“We weren’t let off the plane for half an hour.”
Another traveller said: “I’m flying to Mumbai. My flight is meant to leave in half an hour but it was just delayed by an hour and a half.
“It doesn’t affect me much, but I feel sorry for all the families who are about to sit on a long flight.”
One mother who was travelling with her husband, son, kids and grandkids said: “We are all flying to see my son who lives in Canada.
“We haven’t seen him in over a year, so I really hope it’s not delayed. We’ve been checking our phones constantly this morning.”
A mother and son who were flying to Zanzibar said: “We’ve only been delayed about an hour, but it was a nightmare getting through security.
“There were huge queues, and the machines weren’t working, so everyone was just swarming the staff with iPads. It was chaos.”
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