Brussels: A cyberattack on a service provider handling check-in and boarding systems has disrupted air traffic across several major European airports, including Brussels, London’s Heathrow, and Berlin, on Saturday.

Brussels Airport reported that the incident had left automated systems inoperable, forcing staff to rely on manual check-in and boarding.

“There was a cyberattack on Friday night 19 September against the service provider for the check-in and boarding systems affecting several European airports including Brussels Airport. This means that at the moment only manual check-in and boarding is possible,” an airport spokesman told The Telegraph.

“This has a large impact on the flight schedule and will unfortunately, cause delays and cancellations of flights. The service provider is actively working on the issue and trying to resolve the problem as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson added.

At least 10 flights were cancelled out of Brussels Airport and another 17 delayed by over an hour after the system was hit by a "cyberattack" overnight on Friday, the airport said.

Only manual check-in and boarding was taking place at the Brussels air hub, which advised passengers flying on Saturday to check their flight status with airlines before going to the airport.

London’s Heathrow also acknowledged delays, citing “a technical issue” at a third-party supplier, while Berlin Airport urged passengers to prepare for longer waiting times.

A banner on the Berlin Airport website read: "due to a technical issue at a system provider operating across Europe, there are longer waiting times at check-in."

The airports advised travellers to check their flight status and apologised for any inconvenience.

Formed in 2018, Collins is a U.S. aviation and defence technology company and a subsidiary of RTX Corp., which was formerly Raytheon Technologies.

The company's system doesn’t offer direct check-in for passengers, but provides the technology that allows passengers to check themselves in, print boarding passes and bag tags, and dispatch their own luggage, all from a kiosk.

No one was immediately available for comment at the U.K. base of Collins near London’s second busiest airport, Gatwick.

The impact was felt only at some airports: the Roissy, Orly and Le Bourget airports in the Paris area reported no disruptions.