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European airports face continued disruption after cyberattack on check-in systems

Some of Europe’s busiest airports — including London’s Heathrow, Berlin Brandenburg, and Brussels Airport — are still grappling with flight delays and cancellations after hackers targeted check-in and boarding software provider Collins Aerospace, owned by RTX.

The attack, which began on Friday, disabled Collins’ MUSE software, forcing airports to fall back on manual check-in operations. While Heathrow and Berlin reported easing disruption by Sunday, Brussels Airport said delays and cancellations would continue into Monday.

Brussels Airport asked airlines to cancel half of Monday’s flights to avoid severe queues and last-minute disruptions. On Sunday, 50 of 257 scheduled departures were canceled, following 25 cancellations the previous day.

Collins said it was in the “final stages” of restoring systems with a secure updated version of its software. However, Brussels Airport noted it had not yet received this update.

Passengers without online check-in or carry-on-only travel faced the worst queues. One traveler in Brussels described the experience:

“For me, it was business as usual. For those poor souls who didn’t do online check-in or have bags to check, they may be waiting a bit.”

Cirium data showed disruption levels varied: Heathrow had “low” delays, Berlin “moderate,” and Brussels “significant.”

The cyberattack is part of a wider wave of hacks disrupting European industries. Recent incidents included Jaguar Land Rover’s halted production and Marks & Spencer’s financial losses running into hundreds of millions of pounds. Regulators have launched investigations into the source of the latest breach.

Andreessen Horowitz-Backed AI Studio Promise Partners with Google, Expands Investor Base

Generative AI content studio Promise, backed by venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz, announced a strategic partnership with Google to integrate its cutting-edge AI technologies into the studio’s production tools and creative pipeline.

Promise will leverage Google’s AI capabilities, including collaboration with researchers from DeepMind, to enhance its proprietary workflow software MUSE — a platform aimed at streamlining content production for the entertainment industry.

The studio also revealed it has broadened its investor pool. New funding comes from Google’s AI Futures Fund, Crossbeam Venture Partners, and an increased investment from North Road Company, the media firm founded by former News Corp President Peter Chernin, who is also a co-lead investor.

Promise was co-founded by Fullscreen CEO George Strompolos, former YouTube executive Jamie Byrne, and AI artist Dave Clark. The startup aims to position itself at the forefront of the generative AI boom in entertainment, offering tools to reduce production costs and accelerate timelines for content development.

The company is already working with Hollywood partners on a multi-year slate of AI-driven projects. Production for Promise’s first feature-length film is set to begin later this year, marking a major step in its ambition to reshape storytelling with generative AI.

As traditional studios continue to explore the role of AI in filmmaking, Promise’s alliance with Google could set a precedent for deeper integration of AI into Hollywood’s creative and technical ecosystems.