London
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A man in his 40s was arrested last week in connection with a cyber attack that knocked out an automatic check-in system at some of Europe’s busiest airports.
A man arrested Tuesday evening in West Sussex, England, was taken into custody on suspicion of a computer misuse crime, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said in a statement shared with CNN. He was released on conditional bail.
“The arrest is a positive step, but the investigation into this case is in its early stages and remains ongoing,” Paul Foster, head of the NCA’s National Cybercrime Division, said in a statement.
“Cybercrime is a permanent global threat that continues to cause major disruption in the UK. With our partners here and abroad, the NCA is working to reduce that threat to protect the British people,” he added.
Last Friday, airline Collins Aerospace was targeted in a cyber attack, causing chaos among passengers departing from cities including London, Brussels, Berlin and Dublin.
Brussels airport used its iPad and laptop to check passengers online, but passengers at Berlin Brandenburg airport told Reuters that travelers were given handwritten boarding passes.
In a statement Wednesday morning, the Berlin airport said the chaos continued.
“Given that check-in and boarding are still manual, there could be longer processing times, delays and cancellations by airlines despite mobilizing all available resources,” the airport said, adding that it is working on “alternative solutions to minimize the impact” of passenger cyberattacks.
London’s Heathrow said Wednesday that the majority of its flights are “operating as normal.” Brussels Airport said Tuesday that there could be “limited chaos” in flights due to cyberattacks.
This story has been updated in development.
