Italian daily Corriere della Sera said that U.S. investment company Castlelake was looking to MSC, the world's largest shipowner, as a possible partner in a consortium interested in a potential takeover bid for British budget airline easyJet. Castlelake announced last week that it is in the initial stages of evaluating a possible easyJet offer, which would be above 403.23 pence a share. However, no approach has been made to easyJet's board. According to UK takeover regulations, the company has until June 26th to submit a firm offer or walk away. Corriere reported that two sources familiar with the discussions said...

Seoul's Transport Ministry announced on Thursday that South Korea and China had agreed to extend weekly 'flight rights' between the two countries for the first time in seven year. This is another sign of the warming relationship between the Asian neighbours. According to the Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport, an agreement reached during bilateral aviation talks in Seoul between May 27 and 28, will increase passenger flights by 56 weekly flights, to 664, from 608, while cargo flights by 14 weekly flights, to 68, from 54. The Ministry said that the agreement would allow for easier addition of flights...

Air Canada's COO stated on Wednesday that the carrier still experiences "friction" in the system due to delays in the deliveries of Airbus A321XLR single-aisle jets. The airline will begin flights with this longer-range aircraft?this month. Airbus and Boeing are working to increase production of new, fuel-efficient aircraft. However, airlines around the world face delays in delivering multiple models due to labor shortages, supply-chain issues, or other factors. Mark Nasr, Air Canada's Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, stated in an interview that the XLR Program has been delayed by more than two years compared to what was originally?anticipated...

Lebanon's aviation regulator?performed a safety audit on Middle East Airlines after pilot groups expressed concerns that crews are being asked to fly near airstrikes, and penalized for reporting safety incidents. Letters seen by show. The audit focuses on the Beirut-based flag airline MEA which has kept Lebanon in touch through war, financial collapse and even when many foreign airlines have avoided Middle East airspace due to'missile and drone risk' since the Iran War began on February 28, In a statement released?on? Wednesday, the MEA stated that it would continue to fly "after obtaining international guarantees" that the airport will remain...

The Middle East is slowly getting back on the map as airlines rebuild their schedules following the war disruptions. However, the conflict continues disrupting wider traffic flows. Middle Eastern airlines added capacity following severe disruptions linked to the Iran War, but many carriers outside the Gulf still divert Europe-Asia flight to avoid the Middle East. The latest flight information is listed below alphabetically: AEGEAN AIRLINES Greece’s largest carrier has cancelled flights between Thessaloniki and Tel 'Aviv until 26 June. Dubai flights are cancelled through August 31. Erbil and Baghdad flights will be canceled until July 2. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian...

The head of fuel for the International Air Transport Association said that many airlines are being impacted by price fluctuations in the jet fuel markets. Daniel Chereau said that some airlines who have more sophisticated hedging strategies can get a little cushion. He was speaking at the S&P Global Energy Middle East Petroleum?and Gas Conference. The impact of the crack spreads on jet fuel refinery profits, also known as profit margins, is not good for the airline industry. According to LSEG, in North West Europe the crack spread of jet fuel peaked in March at a record high of?over $121....

India approved a fuel stabilisation fund of 100 billion rupees ($1.05 billion), on Wednesday, to keep the cost of jet fuel down for airlines that are being hit by rising fuel costs due to the Iran war. The government announced that the assistance would be provided in the form of interest-free advances for oil marketing companies to cover the under-recoveries, the gap between market-linked jet fuel prices and the moderated rate charged to airlines. The measure "will help protect and maintain domestic and international air services,?ensuring continuity of service," was added. IndiGo shares, India's biggest?airline reversed their course and?traded up...

The foreign ministry announced on Wednesday that an Iranian attack targeted 'civil facilities' in Kuwait including the international airport and diplomatic missions. The statement didn't specify which diplomatic missions had been damaged. The attack marks an increase in tensions for the oil-rich Gulf nation, which has been relatively calm since April 8, when a ceasefire was declared in the?Iran war. Iran launched a salvo of missiles and drones against Kuwait, a close U.S. ally as well as other Gulf states. State news agency reported that the early morning attack at Kuwait International Airport resulted in several injuries and forced authorities...

Unions protested against the government's labour re-form plans, and a second general strike in six months caused disruptions across Portugal on Wednesday. Trains were stopped, hundreds of flights cancelled, and schools closed as a result. After talks with unions failed, Portugal's centre-right minority government will likely pass a bill that proposes changes to more than 100 articles of labour code in order to increase productivity and spur economic growth. Tiago 'Oliveira', the head of Portugal's biggest umbrella union CGTP which called for the general strike said that the reform will worsen the conditions of workers by entrenching the precarious nature,...

European shares fell marginally Wednesday, as renewed hostilities over the Middle East pushed oil prices up and dampened hopes for an imminent peace agreement. However, Inditex (the owner of Zara) gained after reporting that the summer had started well. The pan-European STOXX 600 Index?dipped by 0.1% to 624.32 at 0805 GMT. The?U.S. military said it 'thwarted Iranian missile attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and other regional targets. The U.S. military claimed it had 'thwarted Iranian missile strikes on Bahrain, Kuwait, and other regional targets. Brent crude prices rose by 2%. The U.S. president Donald Trump's comment that talks with Iran were...

Hong Kong's leader, who led his government's largest delegation ever on a tour of Uzbekistan after Kazakhstan, arrived on Wednesday. The group was on a promotional tour to promote the city's?Chinese rule as a financial gateway and business hub to China and Southeast Asia. The visit by a 70-member delegation?that includes 40 business leaders is part of Hong Kong's efforts to connect resource-rich countries along Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative to China's largest off-shore finance hub in order to boost trade and financial activities amid increasing geopolitical tensions and soaring demand for strategic natural ressources. Lee, who will be in...

According to letters seen by, Lebanon's aviation regulator has launched a safety review of Middle East Airlines after pilot groups expressed concern that crews are being forced to fly "close to airstrikes" and punished for reporting safety incidents. The audit focuses on the Beirut flag carrier that has kept the country 'connected' through war and financial collapse, even though many foreign airlines avoided large areas of Middle East airspace due to missile and drone -risks -since the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran began. MEA has around 20 planes that fly in the Middle East and Europe, as well as...