The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Wednesday that a suspect had been detained in connection with  recent cyberattacks that disrupted air travel at several major European airports.

The suspect, said to be in his 40s, was arrested in southern England late on Tuesday.

"Although this arrest is a positive step, the investigation into this incident is in its early stages and remains ongoing," read a statement by NCA Deputy Director Paul Foster.

"Cybercrime is a persistent global threat that continues to cause significant disruption to the UK," he added.

Which airports were affected?

The arrest comes after days of disruption at airports such as London's Heathrow, as well as the main Dublin, Brussels and Berlin airports due to "third-party ransomware" attacks. 

Software from Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of US defense giant Raytheon, was affected by the attack. The company has said it is investigating the incident.

The software error forced airport employees to carry out manual check-ins and baggage drops, greatly slowing down the process and forcing many delays and cancellations.

There has been a major uptick in cyberattacks on airports in recent years, which rely on vast interconnected systems to keep things running smoothly.

Edited by: Kieran Burke