Cyber ​​attack at BER Airport: Passengers have to expect long waiting times!

Cyber ​​attack at BER Airport: Passengers have to expect long waiting times!

Things will be really turbulent at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) today, September 20, 2025. As the daily news reported that a cyber attack on an external service provider is causing significant delays in processing. Passenger processing becomes a challenge as check-in now has to be done manually, which delays everything. Some travelers could expect a delay of up to two hours. The average delay is currently 31 minutes, while arrivals “only” add an additional five minutes.

The incident occurred on Friday evening when attackers targeted a service provider's systems, which are also in use at other European airports. The success of the cyberattack meant that connections to these systems were immediately severed. A spokesman for the airport, Axel Schmidt, explained that passenger data now has to be entered manually, which significantly disrupts processes. The uncertainty as to when the disruptions will be resolved certainly does not bring travelers any relief.

Impact on other airports

Brussels Airport is also struggling with the consequences of the attack. Travelers are advised to allow plenty of time for check-in as all procedures following the cyber attack can only be carried out manually. This extends not only to Berlin and Brussels, but also to London Heathrow, where a technical problem was reported with a third-party provider. In Frankfurt am Main and Hamburg, however, flight operations are running without restrictions.

In addition to the airports mentioned, it is suspected that the affected service provider is also deployed at other international locations and the effects of this incident are far from over. Although the exact details of the attackers are still unknown, it is clear that the aviation industry is increasingly suffering from cyberattacks. Like that Conbriefing notes, the number of attacks has increased alarmingly in recent years.

What can travelers do?

For anyone planning to fly in the near future, this means being prepared for longer waiting times to be on the safe side. The airport operators and the affected service providers have gathered in a crisis team to work on a quick solution. Proactively checking flight status can help avoid surprises. If you are flexible, you could consider postponing your travel hours to give your nerves some rest.

The issue of cyber attacks therefore remains not only a technical challenge, but also a matter that affects us all. Stay alert, plan your time wisely and we hope the situation will ease soon.

Further information can also be found in the report from The time, which provides information about the far-reaching effects of the attack on airline operations.