Authorities in the United Kingdom have arrested a man in his 40s in connection with a cyberattack that disrupted flights at London’s Heathrow Airport and several other European airports last weekend.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed that the arrest took place in West Sussex as part of an ongoing investigation into the attack, which primarily targeted Collins Aerospace – a company providing check-in technology for airlines.
According to officials, the suspect was detained on suspicion of breaching the Computer Misuse Act and has been released on bail pending further inquiries.
The cyber incident, first reported on Friday, caused major disruptions including flight delays and cancellations. Brussels Airport was the worst affected, as airlines using Collins systems were forced to manually check in passengers.
At Heathrow, around 20 flights were canceled over the weekend, while many more experienced significant delays. Airports in Berlin and Dublin also reported disruptions linked to the cyberattack.
Paul Foster, Deputy Director of the NCA and head of the National Cyber Crime Unit, emphasized that the investigation is still at an early stage but highlighted the seriousness of the threat:
“Cybercrime remains a persistent global threat that continues to cause significant disruption in the UK. Working closely with our partners at home and abroad, the NCA is committed to reducing this threat and protecting the British public.”
The case underscores growing concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure across Europe to cyberattacks, particularly in the aviation sector.
