Passengers in T2 Experiencing Delayed Check-in Times as Dublin Airport Recovers from Weekend Chaos

Dublin Airport's Terminal 2 was hit hard by a cyber attack on Friday night, resulting in delays and cancellations for passengers. The online hack targeted Collins Aerospace, which provides the check-in and boarding software used by airports in London, Brussels, and Berlin.

Despite the disruption, Dublin Airport operator DAA reported that no flights were cancelled at the airport today. However, some airlines in Terminal 2 are having to resort to "manual workarounds" in issuing bag tags and boarding passes.

Achieving Recovery Amidst Ongoing Issues

"It's not ideal, obviously, but it is having a very minimal impact," said Graeme McQueen, head of communications at DAA. "There are some manual processes in place, so the manual printing of boarding passes and check-in is a bit more complicated in Terminal 2, but we're getting by."

McQueen added that the airport had not experienced any cancellations today and was not expecting any as a result of the cyber issues. "There are experts being flown into Dublin Airport and the other impacted airports in the last 24 hours to help fix this," he said.

The rebuilding of servers and other technical fixes will take time, according to McQueen. The airport is working around the clock to resolve the issue and restore normal operations as soon as possible.

A Bomb Scare Adds to the Chaos

On Saturday morning, passengers were cleared from Terminal 2 after a suspicious device was found in the luggage of a passenger in Terminal 2. The evacuation began at 11:40am, with thousands of people being shepherded to set-down areas outside the terminal buildings while gardaí and the Defence Forces' Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team examined the piece of luggage.

The luggage was deemed safe to be removed from the terminal building to a location where it would not impact on airport operations. After further examination by the EOD team, the luggage was declared safe. Gardaí said their inquiries were ongoing.

Airports Struggle to Recover

Other airports affected by the cyber attack and bomb scare included Brussels Airport, Heathrow, and Berlin Brandenburg Airport. Despite efforts to mitigate the disruption, flights continue to be delayed or cancelled at these airports.

"For me, it was business as usual," said one passenger flying from Brussels. "For those poor souls who didn’t do online check-in or have bags to check, they may be waiting a bit."

Airports Seek Solutions

RTX, the company behind Collins Aerospace's software, said it was working to fix the issue as quickly as possible and that manual check-in operations could mitigate the disruption.

"The vast majority of flights have continued to operate" at Heathrow, according to an airport spokesperson. Berlin Brandenburg Airport reported some problems persisting, but a manual workaround was in place.

Passengers Urged to Plan Ahead

DAA is urging passengers to arrive at the airport two hours before a short-haul flight and three hours before a long-haul flight. However, if checking in a bag in Terminal 2, it's recommended to allow even more time.

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