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UK police arrest man after European airports cyberattack / Photo: © AFP
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UK police arrest man after European airports cyberattack
UK police said Wednesday a man in his 40s had been arrested after a cyberattack disrupted major European airports including Brussels, Berlin and London's Heathrow.
Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) said the suspect had been released on conditional bail after officers detained him late Tuesday in West Sussex, southeast England, on suspicion of offences under the Computer Misuse Act.
It follows days of disruption at key European hubs which the EU'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 in a statement.
"Cybercrime is a persistent global threat that continues to cause significant disruption to the UK," he added.
The agency said it had launched 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, formerly known as Raytheon -- is used by several airlines at multiple airports globally for their check-in and baggage drop operations.
It said Saturday 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".
Impacted airlines were forced to carry out manual check-ins and baggage drops, slowing down the procedures.
The disturbances, still ongoing in a limited way at some European airports Wednesday, also led to flight cancellations and delays, in particular on Saturday.
Dublin and Cork airports in Ireland were among those affected.
At Brussels airport, where scores of outbound flights were cancelled over recent days, a spokesperson quoted by Belga news agency said the situation Wednesday was gradually returning to normal.
Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest, said the "vast majority" of flights were now operating as scheduled, according to the latest passenger notice posted.
Cyberattacks and tech outages have rattled various airports in recent years, as air travel increasingly relies on online, interconnected systems.
The sector saw a 600 percent 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, noting the strategically and economically important sector had become a "prime target".
L. de Freitas--JDB
