Swissport International, a supplier of aviation services, was struck by a ransomware attack that disrupted its operations. 

Swissport International Ltd. is an aviation services firm controlled by an international group of investors that provides airport ground, lounge hospitality, and cargo handling services. On behalf of 850 aviation clients, the corporation manages over 282 million passengers and 4.8 million tonnes of cargo each year. Swissport employs over 66,000 people at 307 locations across 50 countries and has combined operating revenue of EUR 2.8 billion. 

Swissport International was the victim of a ransomware assault that disrupted company operations and prompted aircraft delays. As per the German website Spiegel, the ransomware attack only affected a minor section of the corporation's global IT infrastructure, and a company spokesperson verified that the security breach occurred at 6 a.m. on Thursday. 

The attack has been substantially contained, according to the company, which is attempting to rectify the situation as swiftly as possible. 

A spokeswoman for Zurich Airport added, “Due to system problems at our airport partner Swissport, 22 flights were delayed by 3 to 20 minutes yesterday.”

The company spokesman added, “The attack has now been contained and everything is being done to solve the problem as quickly as possible and limit the impact on flight operations. Swissport can continue to provide ground services for airlines safely, but there may be delays in some cases.” 

On Friday afternoon, the Swissport website was unavailable. The organisation has not yet revealed information regarding the attack, such as the ransomware family that attacked its systems or if the attack resulted in a data leak. The attack on their leak sites was not claimed by any ransomware group. 

Other recent attacks in Europe have affected key infrastructure, such as the one that crippled Oiltanking GmbH, a German petrol distributor that supplies Shell gas stations across the country. The oil provider Mabanaft GmbH was also impacted by the attack, according to the media. The Marquard & Bahls group owns both companies. As per local media, the attacks could have compromised the country's fuel supplies. 

A cyberattack was launched this week on some of the main oil terminals in Western Europe's largest ports. The Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp oil trading centre, as well as the SEA-Tank Terminal in Antwerp, are among the affected port infrastructure.