London’s blue-chip FTSE 100 index edged up on Monday, supported by strength in gold miners after bullion hit record highs, while airline shares slumped following a cyberattack that crippled airport operations across Europe.
As of 11:35 GMT, the FTSE 100 was up 0.1%, with the pound advancing 0.2% against the U.S. dollar to 1.35. On the continent, Germany’s DAX climbed 0.2%, while France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.6%.
Ransomware attack disrupts European air travel
A ransomware assault on Collins Aerospace’s Muse check-in and boarding platform has disrupted operations at several major airports since Friday, forcing staff to revert to manual check-ins.
The attack impacted Heathrow, Brussels, Berlin, and Dublin airports, leading to severe delays and cancellations. Brussels Airport was hit hardest, scrapping nearly half of its scheduled Monday departures as technical and security problems persisted.
Airline stocks dropped in response. Shares of Deutsche Lufthansa AG (TG:LHA), International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. (LSE:ICG), Air France-KLM SA (EU:AF), EasyJet PLC (LSE:EZJ), Wizz Air Holdings PLC (LSE:WIZZ), Ryanair Holdings PLC (LSE:0RYA), and TUI AG (TG:TUI1) were down between 0.5% and 1.3%.
Ericsson, Nokia secure £2 billion VodafoneThree contract
In telecom news, VodafoneThree — the recently merged Vodafone UK (LSE:VOD) and Three UK — awarded a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) contract to Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) and Nokia Oyj (NYSE:NOK) to expand and modernize its network. Ericsson will oversee deployment across 10,000 sites and upgrades to core systems, while Nokia will contribute to 7,000 sites.
UK considering visa fee cuts for top talent
Separately, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is weighing a plan to scrap certain visa fees for highly skilled international workers, according to the Financial Times. The move would contrast with stricter immigration rules recently adopted in the United States.
Canada reviews Teck–Anglo American merger
Meanwhile, Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the proposed $53 billion merger between Teck Resources Ltd (NYSE:TECK) and Anglo American PLC (LSE:AAL) is under government review to assess whether it serves the national interest.
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