Grounded by Hackers: Why UK Airports & Airlines Are Prime Targets for Cyber Attacks
The aviation industry is one of the UK’s most strategically important sectors.
Airports, airlines, and aerospace manufacturers not only support the economy, but they also enable global connectivity, defence, and the smooth functioning of supply chains. However, as digital transformation accelerates in aviation, the attack surface has grown dramatically. From check-in systems and passenger data to aircraft avionics and aerospace intellectual property, the risks are vast and varied.
In recent years, the aviation sector has become a high-value target for cyber criminals, hacktivists, and state-sponsored groups. Attacks can cause immediate disruption to passengers, pose risks to safety, and compromise sensitive information. For aerospace manufacturers, the theft of design data or intellectual property can have long-lasting economic and national security consequences.
The Aviation Sector Threat Landscape
Airports: Critical Infrastructure Under Pressure
Airports are essentially miniature cities - with complex networks connecting baggage handling, air traffic control, passenger processing, and commercial services. A ransomware attack or DDoS campaign against an airport can cause operational paralysis and grounded flights - creating a ripple effect across global routes. In recent European cases, ransomware campaigns forced airports into manual processing, leaving passengers stranded for hours.
Risks include:
Ransomware targeting operational systems
Insider threats from contractors and third-party staff
Attacks on building management systems (lighting, HVAC, access control)
Phishing attacks on administrative teams managing passenger and payment data
Airlines: Data, Payments, and Passenger Trust
Airlines process huge volumes of sensitive data daily, from payment card information to biometric details used in modern boarding systems. The airline sector has faced several high-profile breaches in recent years, with attackers exploiting everything from phishing campaigns to vulnerable booking platforms. These incidents not only expose customer data but also damage brand trust - something difficult to rebuild in a competitive industry.
Key risks include:
Theft of passenger and payment data
Attacks on loyalty programmes and frequent flyer accounts
Business Email Compromise (BEC) targeting finance teams
Disruption to online booking, mobile apps, and flight management systems
Aerospace: Protecting Intellectual Property
The UK aerospace sector is among the most advanced in the world, contributing billions annually to GDP. Its global reputation makes it a prime target for nation-state actors looking to steal trade secrets, designs, and research. In particular, supply chain infiltration - targeting smaller engineering firms feeding into larger programmes - is a persistent risk.
Main threats include:
Espionage campaigns stealing intellectual property
Compromise of suppliers and contractors
Targeted phishing of engineers and research teams
Malware campaigns aimed at disrupting design and testing systems
Real-World UK Aviation Case Studies
Collins Aerospace: 2025 MUSE System Cyber Attack
What Happened?
On 19 September 2025, a cyber attack targeted Collins Aerospace’s MUSE passenger processing platform, used by over 170 airports worldwide. The incident disrupted check-in and boarding systems across multiple European airports, including the UKs largest airport Heathrow - forcing airlines and airports to revert to slower manual desk-based procedures. Online booking and self-service kiosks largely remained operational. Importantly, safety systems and air traffic control were not affected.
Risk/Attack Vector:
The MUSE platform’s interconnected architecture made it a high-value target. While specific technical details of the intrusion remain undisclosed, analysts noted several factors that heightened risk:
Centralisation of services: A single platform serving hundreds of airports created a large “blast radius.”
Vendor dependency: Airlines and airports had limited visibility and control over the security posture of Collins Aerospace’s systems.
Potential supply chain compromise: The attack demonstrated how targeting a third-party provider could bypass individual airport defences.
Response & Recovery:
Collins Aerospace worked with affected airports to contain the incident and restore normal operations. Manual check-in procedures ensured continuity, though at reduced efficiency. By Sunday 21 September, delays were easing at most hubs, although Brussels Airport remained heavily impacted with 50 cancellations and requests to halve Monday’s departures.
Key response measures included:
Fallback to manual processing at affected airports.
Coordination with airlines to rebook passengers and manage cancellations.
Technical recovery of MUSE services over the weekend.
Ongoing forensic investigation to identify the intrusion method and strengthen defences.
Lesson & Outcome:
The incident highlighted several critical lessons for the aviation sector:
Systemic risk: Centralised platforms create efficiency but also single points of failure.
Business continuity matters: Manual processes prevented a complete halt in operations, but delays still caused significant disruption.
Financial impact is severe: The outage is estimated to have cost over €50 million across cancellations, delays, and passenger compensation.
No breach of passenger data: While service was disrupted, no evidence suggested that personal or financial data was compromised.
The event reinforced the importance of vendor risk management, 24/7 security monitoring, and contingency planning for critical aviation systems.
British Airways: 2018 Data Breach
What Happened?
In 2018, British Airways suffered a major data breach affecting its website and mobile app. Attackers managed to compromise the details of around 380,000 to 500,000 customers by diverting payment card and personal data through a fraudulent site made to look like BA’s own booking portal.
Risk/Attack Vector:
The breach stemmed from the compromise of a third-party login/remote access mechanism (Swissport’s credentials).
Attackers exploited weak security controls: lack of multi-factor authentication (MFA) on the third party’s access, failure to isolate or contain that access from critical systems, and vulnerability of BA’s site to “third-party script” injection.
Response & Recovery:
British Airways, once made aware of the breach, acted to neutralise the malicious code within about 90 minutes of notification and blocked access to the spoof domain.
They notified the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and banks to communicate with affected customers. Improvements were made such as enforcing MFA, reviewing and tightening third-party access, and improving web security and monitoring.
Lesson & Outcome:
Financial consequence: BA was later fined by the ICO (£183m fine initially proposed - representing the largest financial penalty ever issued by the ICO, however was later adjusted to only £20m following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic) for GDPR non-compliance, particularly for failing to secure user data and poor security arrangements.
The breach heavily damaged trust and reputation; BA has since invested in enhanced monitoring, third-party vendor risk management, and stronger security for payment flows.
EasyJet: 2020 Passenger Data Breach
What Happened?
EasyJet was the victim of a data breach disclosed in 2020 in which approximately 9 million customers globally had their personal details exposed. Of those, a smaller number (a couple of thousand) had credit card or payment card information accessed.
Risk/Attack Vector:
Attack involved a “highly sophisticated attacker.” The details of how the breach occurred include exploit of vulnerabilities or credentialed access, though as with many such breaches, the full technical vector was less revealed publicly.
A key issue was late detection and late disclosure, meaning that customers were not informed swiftly after the incident.
Response & Recovery:
Once the breach was discovered, EasyJet notified the ICO, and communicated with impacted customers, particularly those whose payment or travel credentials were compromised.
They reviewed their security controls especially around data storage, access permissions, and detection of unusual activity.
Lesson & Outcome:
Demonstrates the magnitude of risk when customer databases are large, and the scale of potential damage (financial, reputational) when personal/travel data is exposed.
Highlights the importance of timely detection and transparent communication, which helps mitigate reputational damage.
Norwich Airport: 2015 Website/Booking System Attack
What Happened?
In 2015, Norwich Airport, along with the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, was targeted. The airport’s website was hacked, affecting things like bookings and arrival/departure boards. The website was taken down for three days.
Risk/Attack Vector:
The attacker accessed the airport’s web presence (public website), likely via vulnerabilities in the CMS or web application layer, though specific technical details are scarce in the public domain.
While it did not immediately impact air traffic control or critical operational systems, the attack disrupted customer-facing services and led to reputational and cost impact.
Response & Recovery:
The airport decommissioned the compromised site, rebuilt a new website to replace the compromised one.
Costs were incurred (estimated £30,000-£40,000) for remediation and rebuild.
Lesson & Outcome:
Demonstrates that even non-core operational systems (public websites, booking info, messaging boards) are valuable targets, because disruption there causes customer disappointment and cost.
Shows the importance of web application security, patching, and monitoring of external facing assets.
UK Airports Email Phishing/Scam Attempts:
The NCSC has reported multiple phishing scams impersonating UK airports, sometimes using fake gov.uk addresses, aimed at soliciting personal or financial info. Many are prevented before causing major damage.
Key Lessons from UK Case Studies
From these UK examples, several recurring themes emerge:
Third-Party/Vendor Risk is Common: Both BA and EasyJet breach events show that vulnerabilities in vendors or third-party systems are frequently exploited. Managing supplier security is not optional.
Delayed Detection is Expensive: When attack duration becomes prolonged, damage is greater. Faster detection (via monitoring, SOCs, anomaly detection) often makes the difference in lowering impact.
Customer Data Exposure is High Stakes: Personal, travel, and payment data breaches do not just carry financial penalties (fines via ICO, legal costs) but also long-term harm to brand trust.
Regulatory & Governance Pressure: Post-incident, UK airlines/hubs are subject to ICO investigations and large fines. Compliance with GDPR and other data protection laws is crucial.
Operational Disruption Occurs Even When Core Systems Unaffected: As with Norwich Airport, even when aviation operations continue, disruption to customer-facing services causes cost, reputational damage, and customer dissatisfaction.
PureCyber’s Approach to Aviation Security
Protecting aviation requires a layered defence strategy. PureCyber’s services are designed to address both the operational and strategic risks facing the sector:
Recommendations for UK Aviation Organisations
To build resilience, airports, airlines, and aerospace firms should focus on:
Strengthening Incident Response Plans - Test them with realistic simulations.
Segmenting Critical Systems - Ensuring operational technology is isolated from administrative networks.
Vendor Security Oversight - Regular audits of suppliers and contractors.
Multi-Factor Authentication - Protecting privileged accounts used by engineers and administrators.
Ongoing Threat Intelligence - Staying ahead of adversaries by monitoring emerging attack trends.
Don’t Let a Lacking Cyber Security Posture Ground Your Operations
The UK aviation and aerospace sector stands at the crossroads of national infrastructure, economic stability, and global security. As the cyber threat landscape grows more complex, the stakes could not be higher. Attacks can cause not only financial loss but also real-world disruption to travel and safety. The challenge for organisations is clear: adopt a proactive, layered defence strategy that prepares for threats before they strike.
PureCyber’s security services help organisations achieve that resilience - whether it’s by monitoring networks 24/7, stress-testing defences, or guiding boardrooms through cyber incident simulations. In a sector where downtime and data breaches are simply not an option, the right cyber security partner is more than just a “tick-box” investment, it should be a fundamental part of your operational set-up.
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