Heathrow: UK police arrest man after airports targeted in cyber attack

A man was arrested in West Sussex after a ransomware attack disrupted major European airports. Photo / 123RF

Police in the United Kingdom say a man in his 40s has been arrested after a cyber attack disrupted major European airports, including Brussels, Berlin and London’s Heathrow.

Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said the suspect was freed on conditional bail after being detained in West Sussex, southern England, on suspicion of offences under the Computer Misuse Act.

It follows days of disruption at key European hubs, which the European Union’s cyber-security agency confirmed was “caused by third-party ransomware” that had targeted services provider Collins Aerospace.

“Although this arrest is a positive step, the investigation into this incident is in its early stages and remains ongoing,” NCA deputy director Paul Foster said.

“Cyber crime is a persistent global threat that continues to cause significant disruption to the UK.”

The agency said it began its investigation after the “cyber incident impacting Collins Aerospace” was reported last Friday.

The aviation technology company, a subsidiary of US aerospace and defence group RTX, is used by several airlines at multiple airports globally for check-in and baggage drop operations.

It said on Saturday that it had “become aware of a cyber-related disruption to our Muse software in select airports” and that it was “limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop”.

Affected airlines were forced to carry out manual check-ins and baggage drops, slowing down the procedures.

The disturbances, still continuing in a limited way at some European airports today, also led to flight cancellations and delays.

Dublin and Cork airports in Ireland were among those affected.

At Brussels airport, where scores of outbound flights were cancelled over recent days, procedures were said to be gradually returning to normal today, Belga news agency reported.

Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest, said the “vast majority” of flights were now operating as scheduled.

Cyber attacks and tech outages have rattled various airports in recent years, as air travel increasingly relies on online, interconnected systems.

The sector had a 600% increase in such attacks from 2024 to 2025, according to a report by French aerospace company Thales, released in June.

“From airlines and airports to navigation systems and suppliers, every link in the chain is vulnerable to attack,” the report warned.

It said the strategically and economically important sector had become a “prime target”.

- Agence France-Presse