Europe airports cyberattack: Man in 40s arrested in UK; disrupted airports in Heathrow, Berlin

The man behind the suspected cyber attack that disrupted operations at Heathrow and other major airports over the weekend, has been arrested.

The UK National Crime Agency (NCA) said the suspect, in his 40s, was held in West Sussex on Tuesday on suspicion of offences under the Computer Misuse Act. However, he has now been released on conditional bail.

Paul Foster, deputy director and head of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit, said, “Although this arrest is a positive step, the investigation into this incident is in its early stages and remains ongoing.”

“Cybercrime is a persistent global threat that continues to cause significant disruption to the UK,” the Independent cited the official.

“Alongside our partners here and overseas, the NCA is committed to reducing that threat in order to protect the British public.”

The attack reportedly targeted Collins Aerospace, leading to problems with check-in and boarding systems at London Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin airports.

At Brussels Airport, at least 10 flights were cancelled at while another 17 were delayed by more than an hour after the systems were affected.

“This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately cause delays and cancellations of flights,” the airport said, as reported by The Sun.

“The service provider is actively working on the issue and trying to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.”

This is a developing story.