What can a cyberattack do to an airline? More than many passengers realise. An airline is not just an aircraft, a cockpit and a team of people. Behind every flight is a huge digital ecosystem supporting reservations, check in, baggage, crew planning, flight operations, passenger information and many other processes. That means a cyberattack does not necessarily have to affect an aircraft directly to cause serious disruption. If the digital systems supporting an airline stop working, passengers can feel the consequences very quickly. So, what can a cyberattack do to an airline? It can disrupt individual services, expose sensitive information, delay operations and, in some circumstances, create wider safety and security concerns. Why Are Airlines Attractive Targets? Airlines process enormous amounts of valuable information and depend on interconnected technology. Passenger records, payment information, travel details, employee accounts and operational data can all be valuable to criminals. The International Civil Aviation Organization identifies several airline systems as potential cyber targets, including reservation systems, passenger information systems, departure control systems, mobile applications, flight planning, baggage reconciliation and crew planning. The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity has also identified data related threats, ransomware and malware among important cyber threats facing aviation. ENISA notes that airline customer data and proprietary information are attractive targets. This interconnected environment explains why what can a cyberattack do to an airline is becoming an increasingly important question. 1. A Cyberattack Could Disrupt Airline Booking System Imagine trying to book a flight and suddenly the airline website stops working. You try again. Nothing. You open the airline app and receive an error. A booking system is one of the most visible digital services an airline provides. If it becomes unavailable, passengers may not be able to make reservations, change flights or access certain booking services. ICAO specifically identifies airline reservation systems as potential targets for denial of service and identity spoofing attacks. This means that what can a cyberattack do to an airline can begin before a passenger even reaches the airport. The attack could affect the digital doorway through which customers interact with the airline. And because booking systems can connect with other parts of an airline’s operation, disruption may have consequences beyond the website itself. 2. A Cyberattack Could Disrupt Check In and Boarding The next problem could appear at the airport. Passengers may arrive expecting to check in normally, only to discover that the airline’s digital systems are unavailable. The Departure Control System is particularly important because it supports processes associated with passenger handling and boarding. ICAO identifies the Departure Control System as a potential cyber target and highlights risks including denial of service and identity spoofing. This is not simply an inconvenience. If systems become unavailable, airport staff may need to use alternative procedures while the airline works to restore normal operations. We have already seen how disruption to aviation check in infrastructure can affect large numbers of passengers. In September 2025, a ransomware attack affecting a provider of airport check in and baggage drop systems caused disruption at several European airports. Reuters reported that the incident affected airports including Heathrow and Brussels and stranded passengers. https://www.reuters.com/en/cyberattack-causes-flight-delays-cancellations-brussels-airport-2025-09-20/ That example shows why what can a cyberattack do to an airline is not an abstract cybersecurity question. Digital disruption can quickly become a passenger experience problem. 3. A Cyberattack Could Interfere With Baggage Systems Your suitcase may look like a simple piece of luggage, but behind the scenes there is a significant digital process helping it move from check in to the aircraft and eventually to baggage reclaim. Baggage systems can involve tracking, reconciliation and information exchange. ICAO identifies baggage reconciliation as a potential cyber target and notes the security implications of unauthorised or unscreened baggage being loaded onto an aircraft. So, what can a cyberattack do to an airline when baggage systems are affected? It could make it harder for airline and airport personnel to know what is happening to baggage, potentially creating delays, manual work and additional security checks. This is one reason baggage technology is more than a convenience. It is part of the operational and security ecosystem surrounding a flight. 4. A Cyberattack Could Disrupt Flight Operations This is where the consequences become more serious. Airlines depend on digital systems to support many parts of their operation. Flight planning is one example. ICAO identifies flight planning systems as potential cyber targets and notes that interference could affect aircraft operations across a wider system. This does not mean hackers can simply take control of an aircraft because an airline system has been attacked. That would be an inaccurate and overly simplistic description of aviation cybersecurity. Modern aviation uses multiple layers of systems, procedures and human oversight. However, disruption to supporting systems can still create operational problems. So, what can a cyberattack do to an airline at the operational level? It could make it harder for teams to access information, coordinate activities and keep flights moving efficiently. That could contribute to delays, cancellations or the need to switch to manual processes. The aviation industry is particularly sensitive to this type of disruption because one delayed operation can have consequences for later flights. 5. A Cyberattack Could Expose Passenger Data There is another side to aviation cybersecurity that passengers should care about. Your airline may hold information about your name, contact details, travel itinerary, passport information, loyalty account and other personal information. A cyberattack targeting passenger databases could potentially expose sensitive information. ENISA has identified data related threats as one of the prominent cyber threats affecting aviation and has documented incidents involving stolen airline passenger information. This is why what can a cyberattack do to an airline is not only about cancelled flights. It can also be about your personal information. A successful data breach can create risks long after the aircraft has landed. Stolen information can potentially be used for fraud, phishing, identity theft or targeted scams. For passengers, cybersecurity therefore affects more than the airport experience. It can also affect digital privacy. 6.