Heathrow's boss was criticized for a 18-hour airport shutdown last month. An airline representative had said that he raised concerns days earlier about the hub’s resilience, and lawmakers were scrutinising the embarrassing incident. The closure of the airport on March 21 was caused by a fire at a nearby substation, raising concerns about the resilience and safety of the national infrastructure. About 300,000 passengers were left stranded by the incident and airlines lost millions of pounds. In an effort to learn from the past, members of Parliament quizzed Heathrow's chief executive, National Grid representatives, SSE, and airline representatives on Wednesday....

Singapore has designated 17 transportation companies as critical firms, subject to increased regulatory scrutiny. A new law that took effect on Tuesday aims to protect against extreme scenarios with "malicious" actors. The Transport Sector (Critical Firms Act) would allow the government to tighten its control over major Singaporean firms in the air, sea and land transport sectors. It will also require approval for any key leadership changes or when an entity takes control of more than 5 percent of a company. Singapore Airlines, SATS (ground services handling firm), and SBS Transit (bus and rail operator) are all listed companies. According...

The looming tariffs by U.S. president Donald Trump could affect virtually all the goods exported to Vietnam's top market. These exports were worth over $142 billion in 2017, or around 30% of Southeast Asia's GDP. Vietnam was a beneficiary of the trade war Trump waged against China during his first term. However, Vietnamese officials and companies abroad are unsure how they will do under the new tariffs Trump has announced will go into effect on Wednesday. Vietnam, with a surplus of $123.5 billion and meeting several criteria, has the biggest trade surplus with the U.S. Here are some measures that...

Luiz inacio Lula da silva, Brazil's president, will meet Vietnam's leaders on Friday at Hanoi as he travels to the Southeast Asian country with a large delegation of businessmen to try to strengthen trade and economic links under the shadows of a trade war. Lula's visit comes at a time when Hanoi is under pressure to reduce its huge trade surplus by the Trump administration. Hanoi has also pledged to increase U.S. Imports, which includes farm products like soybeans that Brazil is the top exporter of to Vietnam. A Brazilian official familiar with the agenda stated that both countries will...

IATA's head, who represents the world's airlines, has welcomed the call from Europe's leading carriers to delay a target of 2030 for sustainable aviation fuel usage in Europe. He said that Brussels policymakers must face reality. We can't pretend these targets are important and achievable. Willie Walsh said, "They were never going be able to be achieved." According to EU rules, suppliers are required to ensure that 2% (of the fuel) available at EU airports in 2025 is SAF, increasing to 6% by 2030, and then gradually to 70% by 2050. The airlines claim that SAF is scarce and they...

Boston Consulting Group's (BCG) report on Thursday found that the sustainable aviation fuel industry (SAF) is not meeting its 2030 targets because production hasn't ramped up fast enough. This year, European airlines will be required to use 2% SAF in their jet fuel. By 2030, this mandate is expected to increase to 6%. Many have complained about the cost of the fuel which is usually three to five time more expensive than conventional jet fuel. The report revealed that airports and airlines are only investing 1%-3% of their budget or revenue into SAF. High production costs and fuel price remain...

Airbus gave an early glimpse at the technologies that will be used in its next aircraft, which is expected to replace its most popular A320neo. The new plane should enter service within 10 to 15 years. Guillaume Faury, who will begin his third three-year tenure as CEO in a few weeks, faces a key decision: when to replace industry's best-selling model that competes with Boeing 737 MAX's 737 MAX on the busiest market segment. Airbus claimed that the new aircraft would be 20-30% efficient than the A320neo. NASA in the U.S. has announced that it is developing a rival configuration...

These are the most popular stories from the Financial Times. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports. Headlines Wood Group to continue takeover talks with UAE-based Sidara Heathrow's National Grid chief claims that the airport had "enough power" despite the fire shutdown Malaysia cracks down on Nvidia chips under US pressure James Hardie will buy Azek, a building products company for almost $9bn View the full article After a failed takeover attempt six months earlier, the British oilfield engineering and services firm Wood Group agreed to extend its deadline for talks....

The head of the industry lobby group, who represents Japanese oil refiners, said that concrete regulations and frameworks were needed to encourage airlines and supply chains to develop decarbonization efforts and use sustainable aviation fuel. Cosmo Energy Holdings is launching Japan's first home production of SAF, but cost-cutting challenges still remain. The country's goal to replace 10% of jet fuel by a cleaner alternative remains. As part of Japan's effort to combat climate changes, refiners are required to supply SAF that is equivalent to 10% their aviation fuel sales. This aligns with the global initiative to reduce carbon dioxide emissions...

Heathrow Airport in Britain announced on Friday that it would be closed until after midnight due to an extensive power outage caused by a fire near the electrical substation which supplies the airport. Heathrow Airport posted a message on X saying that the airport would be closed on the 21st March until 23h59. Passengers are advised to avoid the airport. A Heathrow spokesperson said in an email that fire crews were responding to the incident, but it was unclear when power would be restored. They also predicted significant disruptions over the next few days. Eurocontrol, the company that manages air...

The Australian share market fell to a near seven-month-low on Tuesday. This was due to a decline in financial stocks. It followed a global drop in equity prices after uncertainty over tariffs imposed on the U.S. by President Donald Trump raised concerns of a possible recession in Australia. Qantas also fell as it began trading ex-dividend. The S&P/ASX 200 Index fell 1.5%, reaching 7,843.80 at 2356 GMT. This is its lowest level since 2024. U.S. stocks fell overnight. The S&P 500 registered its largest one-day decline since December 18, 2024 and the Nasdaq, which is heavily loaded with tech, dropped...

Cosmo Energy Holdings will launch Japan's domestic production of sustainable aviation in April. This is a major step towards the country's target of replacing 10% jet fuel with an alternative that's cleaner, but there are still challenges to be overcome. Cosmo, Japan's third largest refiner, will make SAF using used cooking oil in its Sakai refinery, located in western Japan. Takeshi Takada said, "Our goal is for SAF to reach 300,000 Kilolitres in 2030, through both domestic production and imported SAF." As Japan fights climate change, it must align with global efforts to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) from aircrafts. According...