Thousands of local residents closed down 'Austria Brenner Motorway' on Saturday. The Brenner is a vital north to south?corridor between Germany and Italy. They were protesting against the?tourists and trucks that are always clogging their roads. Karl Muehlsteiger was the leader of the protest, the mayor of Gries am Brenner. Gries am Brenner is one of the towns that are in the shadows of the Wipp Valley, a narrow valley with steep sides, and giant concrete stilts. Since?decades, the issue of excessive traffic and pollution in the valley that leads to the Brenner pass has been a source for tension...

The police and airport authorities confirmed that flights were halted at Munich Airport for an hour on Saturday morning after a pair of pilots saw a drone. A spokesperson for the airport said that during the shutdown, more than 20 flights which were due to land in Munich were diverted to another airport. Two pilots flying separate planes on the airport tarmac saw a drone hovering over the airport at around 9 am (0700 GMT). This prompted the closure, according to the witnesses. The flights resumed an hour after the first one. A police spokesperson stated that "extensive police operation,...

Castlelake L.P., a U.S. investment firm, said on Friday that it was in the early stages of considering an offer for British budget airline easyJet. This sent the 'airline’s U.S. traded shares up nearly 10%. Castlelake stated in a press release that no approach had been made to easyJet's board and it was impossible to predict whether or not an offer would be made. According to UK takeover regulations, Castlelake must submit a firm bid by the 26th of June or abandon a deal. EasyJet announced the news a week ago, after warning that its outlook for the full year...

European shares edged higher on Friday to close the month with gains. Investors clung to hopes that a proposed agreement could be reached extending a Middle East truce and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Market optimism was sparked by reports that U.S. president Donald Trump had been weighing a preliminary U.S. Iran agreement. He said that he would reach a decision on the deal by Friday. Kathleen Brooks is the research director for XTB. She said that the market may test its patience if a deal cannot be reached by the end of June. This could have a major impact...

The U.S. Travel Industry Group said that the removal of immigration officials from Newark Airport would cause "immediate harm and lasting harm". It could also strand Americans and cost the U.S. $8 billion in annual spending by tourists. U.S. Travel Association reported that U.S. Customs officials process 5,000,000 Americans returning to the United States annually at Newark Airport in New Jersey, near New York City. The group warned that "Americans from all over the country could have their flights to the U.S. canceled or diverted." The group said that "millions of international visitors would face the same disruption and, with...

As regional carriers re-build their schedules following war-related disruptions, some airlines are gradually restoring flights to the Middle East. However, the conflict continues disrupting wider traffic flows. Middle Eastern airlines have increased capacity following severe disruption caused by the Iran War, but many carriers outside of the Gulf still divert Europe-Asia flights to avoid the area. The latest flight information is listed below alphabetically: AEGEAN AIRLINES The largest airline in Greece has cancelled flights between Thessaloniki and Tel Aviv up until June 26. Dubai flights are cancelled until August 31. Erbil, Baghdad and Erbil flights will be cancelled until July...

IndiGo, India's budget airline, reported a loss for the fourth quarter?on Friday. The country's leading airline was struggling with a deteriorating rupee and soaring fuel costs. The airline reported a loss for the quarter ending March 31 of 26.62 billion rupies ($280.2m), compared to a profit of 30,73 billion rupies in?the previous period. The airline was forced to reduce its domestic capacity in the third quarter by 10% after being ordered to do so by the aviation regulator of the country. This followed a series of mass cancellations that occurred during December, which led to the worst aviation crisis of...

The U.S. Homeland Security Department announced on Thursday that the Trump administration could soon stop processing international passengers and cargo at Newark Airport because local law enforcement officials are not assisting federal immigration authorities in northern New Jersey. Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of Homeland Security at Fox News' "Fox and Friends", said that if things do not change soon we will have to take this step. He was referring to United Airlines' major hub near New York City. Mullin claimed that local police did not ensure that federal immigration officials were able to enter and exit the New Jersey detention centers...

Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan said on Wednesday that the airline 'has not seen a drop in demand after joining the industry with seven fare increases from February. This makes him more confident about the airline's ability to offset higher fuel costs through stronger revenues. Jordan, speaking at a Bernstein Investor Conference, said that the fare increase was the largest he had ever seen in his 38-year career. He said that demand was strong for leisure and business travelers, as well as across geographies, and in terms of the booking curve. Jordan stated that there was no decrease in demand...

Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv is operating at only one-third capacity because of the presence of U.S. fuelling aircraft. This could lead to heavy flight cancellations in summer, according to the head of Israel Airports Authority. Director general Sharon?Kedmi told Kan's Reshet Bet that the military activities at the airport are limiting 70% of airport activity. He said, "We only use one-third the operational capacity of the airport." "We have reached the limits of our abilities." We will cancel some flights in the next few days. He added that foreign carriers would not be able to return in the...

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby stated on Wednesday that the carrier will not pursue airline consolidation in the near future. This comes after American Airlines rejected his proposal for a possible merger. Kirby, speaking at a Bernstein Investor Conference, said that he has long believed that the "big deal"?United was pursuing was the only one which made economic sense. But he added that such a deal would require a partner who was willing to do it, which "we clearly don't" have. "I don't believe that United at least will participate in any sort of consolidation in the near future," said?Kirby....

GE Aerospace CEO Larry 'Culp stated on Wednesday that despite higher fuel prices and softer flight departures, airlines have not slowed down on orders for engine parts or maintenance, indicating continued strength in GE Aerospace's high-margin aircraft engine aftermarket business. Culp, speaking at the Bernstein Investor Conference, said that departures have dwindled over the last eight weeks and growth is now "relatively stagnant." He said GE Aerospace did not see any operational impact, or any change in the commercial behavior of airline customers. Culp stated that "we feel very good about second quarter." He cited a?continued strong performance in spare-parts,...