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A man in his 40s has been arrested in West Sussex, England, in connection with a cyberattack that disrupted several major European airports, including London Heathrow. The arrest took place on Tuesday, and the suspect has been released on conditional bail pending further investigation. He is suspected of computer misuse offenses.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed the arrest, emphasizing that the investigation is still in its early stages. Paul Foster, head of the NCA’s national cybercrime unit, acknowledged the arrest as a positive step but stressed the ongoing and pervasive nature of cybercrime threats.
The cyberattack, which began late last week and continued through the weekend, caused significant disruption at airports in Berlin, Brussels, and London. Airline staff resorted to manual check-in processes and handwritten boarding passes to cope with the systems outage.
While Heathrow Airport reported that most flights were operating normally by Tuesday, Berlin Airport warned travelers to expect further disruptions and delays as check-in and boarding procedures remained largely manual. The airport indicated that a full restoration of the computer systems could take several more days.
The affected software, provided by Collins Aerospace, is used by airports for passenger check-in, baggage handling, and boarding pass printing. The company acknowledged the “cyber-related disruption” over the weekend.
While the culprit behind the attack remains unknown, experts suggest possibilities ranging from individual hackers to organized crime groups or even state-sponsored actors. The European Commission confirmed that air traffic control and aviation safety were not compromised during the incident.