Some flight information display screens at Seattle Tacoma International Airport are still not working more than a week after the Port of Seattle was hit by a massive cyber attack that crashed check-in and baggage systems in the run up to the Labor Day holiday weekend.
On Monday, the airport said it was still in the process of switching on flight information and baggage reclaim display screens as part of a phased approach while IT teams completed final testing.
The cyber attack took place in the early hours of August 24, although scant details about the extent of the attack have so far been released by officials.
In a statement, the Port of Seattle said it became aware of “unauthorized activity” across its IT network, prompting engineers to isolate critical systems to prevent any further breaches.
The Port continues to work with federal partners to investigate the attack, and so far, at least, no one has claimed responsibility for the hack.
The outage forced many airlines which use SeaTac’s in-house check-in system to revert to manual processes, handwriting baggage labels and boarding passes which led to long check-in lines and some flight delays.
It wasn’t until Sunday that most airlines operating out of SeaTac had returned to normal ticket and luggage operations.
In the days after the cyber attack, the airport also warned passengers to avoid checking in luggage due to issues with its baggage handling system, although that advisory has now been lifted.
Thankfully, considering the extent of the attack, disruption was kept to a minimum, and have been very few flight cancellations.
In a statement posted on Monday, the airport said that delays remain minimal and that volunteers remain on duty throughout the airport, helping customers find information about their gate numbers, flight updates, and baggage reclaim information.
A spokesperson added: “The investigation is ongoing, and the Port will provide appropriate updates as they become available.”
