Transport Infrastructure

The United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, which could result in the closure of a major oil-export route, the Strait of Hormuz. Here are some details about the Strait. What is the 'STRAIT of HORMUZ'? The strait is located between Iran and?Oman? and connects the Gulf of Oman in the south with the Arabian Sea to the north. The strait is only 21 miles wide (33 km), with a shipping lane that is just 3 km wide in each direction. Why does it matter? Around a fifth (25%) of all oil consumed in the world...

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to reduce flights this summer at Chicago O'Hare Airport, claiming major airlines overscheduled their flights. The agency announced on Friday. On March 3, the FAA will convene a meeting with major airlines to discuss reducing flight schedules after United Airlines and American Airlines both announced significant increases. The FAA has plans to reduce flight numbers for the summer season which begins March 29 and ends October 25. According to the FAA, airlines have published a schedule that shows more than 3,080 daily flights on peak days in this summer compared to 2,680 daily flights last...

As the partial government shutdown continues, airport security screeners in the U.S. will receive a fraction their normal pay. This could lead to more officers calling in sick, taking second jobs or even quitting. The funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security expired on February 13, after Congress failed in its efforts to reach an agreement on immigration enforcement reforms requested by Democrats. This halted the funding of several government agencies including the Transportation Security Administration. The current shutdown is less severe than the 43-day event in October and November that shut down numerous government departments. TSA agents could...

Local media reported that Panamanian officials searched offices connected to the Panama Ports Company (the local 'unit of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison), on Thursday. CK Hutchison did not respond immediately to a comment request. Neither did the Panamanian authorities. Local TVN showed pictures of about a dozen individuals, some of whom were wearing vests with the initials DIJ of Panama's Investigative Police, located in an underground parking garage in Albrook, a high-end area of Panama City. Images showed people loading cardboard boxes into a police truck. The images did not show the name of the location, so it was...

Belgian newspaper Gazet van Antwerpen reported 'on Thursday that Prime Minister Bart De Wever had confirmed the installation of an air-defence at Antwerp Port. Last year, Belgium was forced to close a military base and several airports due to multiple drone sightings. Drones have also been spotted above?the port?of Antwerp including over the nuclear power plants, the BASF chemical plant and the Europa terminal. "An air-defence is coming to the port of Antwerp." According to the newspaper, De Wever stated that the Nasams-type system had already been ordered. The newspaper also stated that the?defence?ministry has specified that the first?battery?of the?air-defence?system...

The White House announced that U.S. president Donald Trump will hold a meeting Wednesday to discuss 'his plan to overhaul the main international airport in the U.S. Capital area. He had harshly criticised its design?in December. Sean Duffy, the Transportation Secretary, is expected to attend the meeting about Washington Dulles International Airport. The airport, which is located about 25 miles (40 km) from the U.S. capital and opened in 1962, is set for a new 435,000-square-foot (40,412-square-meter), 14-gate concourse this fall serving ?United Airlines customers. The airport authority announced on Tuesday that it had a record-breaking year in 2025. It...

A U.S. travel group and a number of?lawmakers called on the?Donald Trump administration on Tuesday to reinstate the Global Entry Program, which allows low-risk, pre-approved travelers into the United States to be cleared faster by U.S. Customs and Immigration. On Sunday, the Department of Homeland Security suspended the program. However, it reversed its original plan to suspend the Transportation Security Administration PreCheck program. The DHS stated that the move was needed to "preserve funds and personnel limited" during a partial government shutdown. The U.S. Travel Association stated that "Suspending the critical security program?does exactly the opposite of what Homeland Security...

Industry sources claim that the cost of shipping crude oil has risen?to its highest level in six years. This is due to a surge of crude exports out of the Middle East, as traders rush to book charters before a possible conflict between the U.S. The cost to hire a very 'large 'crude carrier to transport up to 2,000,000 barrels of crude oil from the Middle East into China has tripled since the beginning of the year, reaching over $170,000 a daily on Tuesday. This is the highest price ever recorded, according to LSEG. Data from shipping analytics company Kpler...

The commission overseeing the?New York Hudson Tunnel Project, worth $16 billion, said that it needed funding 'certainty' from the Trump administration in order to resume full construction. A funding 'freeze' added millions of dollars to the cost of the project. The Hudson 'Tunnel' Project aims to repair storm damage in a century-old commuter tunnel that is used by over 200,000 people and 425 trains every day. The administration released $235.7 millions last week after it withheld funding since October 1 when a federal judge ordered the payment and an appeals court in the United States refused to stop it. In...

The Canadian rail contractor, Cando Rail & Terminals, will purchase the U.S. Cando announced Monday that it would be purchasing the rail assets of Savage Enterprises to expand its presence across the U.S. The financial terms are not disclosed. The deal gives Cando, based in Manitoba, a strong foothold in the United States while continuing to expand its infrastructure and network of rail terminals in the country. A source familiar with the transaction said that it was a deal worth more than $1 billion. The Canadian and American energy companies rely on Cando Rail & Terminals to provide logistics services...

A government official announced on Monday that Brazil had decided to revoke the 'decree that would have increased Amazonian waterways as part of the federal privatization program. This decision follows the occupation by Indigenous protesters of the Cargill facility on the Tapajos River. Protesters claim that the August decree will open up Amazonian river systems like the 'Tapajos' to dredging. This could have a negative impact on water quality and fishing, both of which are vital to their survival. The rivers are used to transport grains such as corn and soy before they reach the export markets. The weekend saw...

Cando Rail & Terminals, a Canadian railroad contractor, will 'buy U.S. competitor Savage Rail to expand its footprint in the U.S. The deal gives the?Manitoba based Cando an important foothold in the U.S. while it continues to build its rail terminals network and infrastructure across the country. The financial terms are not disclosed. Cando Rail and?Terminals is a logistics company that provides gasoline and diesel to energy companies in Canada as well as the United States. " Customers?on rail are transnational, whether they're in Canada or the U.S. We have a number of'similar' clients on the energy sector, said Brian...

According to a?report seen by, Greece's Shipping Ministry advised Greek-flagged ships on Saturday to exercise maximum caution and avoid the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran. The document stated that "the developing situation affects'safety of Navigation in the wider Persian Gulf",?the Straits of Hormuz and?the Gulf of Oman, and?North Arabian Sea",?advising managing companies to implement the highest levels of security in these areas and Israeli port until further notice. The statement added that the crisis could spread to the Red Sea and the Gulf of...

The 'London High Court' refused to allow Indian businessman Prateek gupta, who was found guilty of defrauding commodities trader Trafigura by using fake nickel cargoes. The Geneva-based 'Trafigura' alleged that Gupta had been the mastermind behind a fraudulent "Ponzi Scheme" where he and his firms agreed to deliver high-quality nickel 99.8% but delivered low-value materials or even worthless ones instead. Gupta admitted he didn't deliver high-grade Nickel cargoes, but said Trafigura?staff designed the scheme. Former Trafigura head nickel trader Sokratis Oikonomou denies this. Last month, Judge Pushpinder Saini found that Gupta's companies and Gupta had induced Trafigura to sign contracts...

According to market and data sources, the cost of hiring supertankers from the Middle East into China on Thursday exceeded $200,000 per day for the first time since 2020. This is because the threat of an attack by the United States on Iran has increased and buyers are looking to lock in their oil cargoes. Iran promised to be flexible in indirect talks with Washington about their long-standing nuclear dispute, on Thursday. Tehran was under pressure from the United States to reach a deal to avoid military strikes. The Strait Of Hormuz?runs along Iran’s coast and is a major chokepoint...

The Turkish government has signed preliminary agreements with six international lenders for a $6.75 billion project to build a new railway across the Bosphorus. This would be Turkey's largest foreign-financed railway. He said that once the line is completed, it will be able to transport 33 million passengers each year and 30 million tonnes of freight. It would also boost the country's rail capacity between Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The funds will be used to support the Northern Ring Railway Project. This project will run 125 km (78 miles) and carry passengers and freight between?Gebze and Halkali, via...

An Iraqi-Emirati consortium is planning a $700 ?million subsea-and-terrestrial data cable linking the United Arab Emirates to ?Turkey via Iraq, one of the project's backers said, just over a ?week after the announcement of ?a Saudi-backed fibre-optic project in ?Syria. Gulf neighbours Saudi Arabia and UAE each try to tap into the demand for connectivity in this region and become hubs of AI infrastructure including data centers amid a wider economic and geopolitical rivalry across the region. WorldLink is the name of the project between Iraq and the UAE. It will consist of an undersea fiber optic cable that would...

Dubai International Airport (DXB), which is the world's busiest travel hub and is expected to?handle close to 100 millions passengers this year, according to its operator. This will build?upon a record-breaking performance in 2025. Dubai Airports said that it expects to have 99.5 million passengers by 2026 as the demand grows across major markets. DXB handled 95,2?million passengers in 2018, up 3.1% compared to 2024. India, Saudi Arabia, and Britain were its top three markets. Egypt, Italy, and China all experienced double-digit growth. Dubai is the Middle East’s largest tourism and trade hub. It's home to the tallest tower in...

Qatar's stock index rose after announcing a positive year-end earnings report. Oil prices, a major factor in the Gulf's financial market, fell as traders assessed the possibility of supply disruptions following U.S. guidelines for vessels transiting Strait of Hormuz. Iran, along with fellow OPEC member?Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as well as Kuwait, Iraq, and Kuwait export the majority of their crude oil via the Strait to Asia. Saudi Arabia's benchmark stock index fell 0.1% due to a 0.8% drop in the?Al Rajhi Bank. Two people with knowledge of the situation said that the $925 billion Public Investment...

Saudi Arabia announced a major package of investments in Syria on Saturday, covering energy, aviation and real estate, as the kingdom positioned itself as an important supporter of Syria's?new leadership. Saudi Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih announced on Saturday that Saudi Arabia has launched an investment fund for Syria, which will commit a total of?7.5 billion Saudi Riyals ($2 billion) over several phases to the development of two airports in Aleppo. Falih said that the Elaf Fund will finance large-scale Syrian projects with private sector investors from Saudi Arabia. Saudi flynas, a budget airline in Saudi Arabia, and the Syrian Civil...

Aerospace Times: Chinese civil drone manufacturer?Feipeng? is accelerating their global expansion with a focus in?Southeast Asia and the Middle East as they seek to navigate fierce domestic competition. The domestic Chinese market has become too competitive. Harry Kang said that Feipeng must go overseas. He made the statement on the sidelines at the Singapore Airshow where the company, which is not listed, is exhibiting. China's manufacturers, which are the top drone makers in the world, are testing heavier payloads, while transport companies plan air taxi services with and without crews. This is because the country has loosened airspace restrictions, and...

Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison announced on Wednesday that its 'Panama Ports Company' unit had initiated international arbitration proceedings against Panama, after the country’s top court annulled their licences to run two Panama Canal port. The Supreme Court of Panama ruled last week that the contracts were in violation of the constitution because they gave the company "exclusive privileges" and tax exemptions. Analysts said that it is not clear how long arbitration proceedings will last, but given the political sensitivities between the U.S., China, and the complexity, they could go on for several years. This is a good example of how...

Data from LSEG and market sources showed that Russia's seaborne gasoil and diesel exports increased 19% over the previous month. This was due to a seasonal decline in domestic demand, which prompted traders to ship out more. The data shows that exports were 4,6% lower than in January 2025, as drone attacks, maintenance and other factors affected the output. Sources said that the shipment of ultra-low sulphur diesel through the Baltic port Primorsk - Russia's largest port for?diesel imports - jumped 32.4% in one month, to a new record of 2.256 million tonnes, supported by an increase in production. The...

The government's media office announced on Friday that Abu Dhabi's new sovereign wealth fund L'imad Holding has taken 'control' of ADQ. This is a major consolidation which creates 'a 'new investment heavyweight' in the wealthy emirate, under the crown prince. The board of L'imad was announced in this month's first public disclosure. It is a new investment heavyweight in the wealthy emirate under its crown prince. The Abu Dhabi Crown prince Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the eldest child of UAE President Sheikh Mohammed, chairs it. Sheikh Khaled was appointed crown prince of the UAE in 2023....