World News for Students of English

25-09-2025 07:00

Several major European airports, including Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin, faced major disruption after a cyber-attack damaged the electronic check-in and baggage system used by many airlines.

Collins Aerospace, the company responsible for the software, was directly affected, leading to long delays, flight cancellations, and confusion for travelers. At Brussels Airport, passengers were advised not to arrive unless their flight was confirmed, while Berlin reported long waiting times. Heathrow mainly struggled with severe delays, which created a chain of missed connections across Europe.

Travel experts explained that the incident happened on a busy summer travel day, which increased its impact. Airlines now need to rebook passengers, provide meals, and arrange accommodation when delays are very long. However, travelers cannot expect financial compensation, since the airlines were not at fault.

The cyber-attack highlights the vulnerability of aviation systems and shows how quickly a technical problem can cause large-scale disruption, with tens of thousands of passengers affected in just one day.

Difficult words: disruption (a problem that stops something working normally), compensation (money you get when something goes wrong), vulnerability (weakness that can be attacked).

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