Transport Infrastructure

Passenger Transportation Services

Passenger Transportation Services

Italy's ITA Airways considers a lawsuit against Pratt & Whitney over engine defects

The CEO of ITA 'Airways' said on Sunday that the airline will decide in the next 'eight weeks' whether to sue RTX's Pratt & Whitney for engine problems which have grounded 20% of its 80 'aircraft'. Globally, hundreds of A320neo jets - the latest version?of Airbus' single-aisle aircraft - have been grounded. The 'long waiting times for engine inspections, repairs and maintenance and a manufacturing issue at Pratt & Whitney have all contributed to this. Joerg Eberhart said, "It is imminent" on the sidelines of a 'global gathering' of top airline executives at Rio de Janeiro. "We'll have to?decide within...

Passenger Transportation Services

Fuel shock in Iran War slashes 2026 profit forecast for global airlines

On Sunday, the global airline industry almost halved their 2026 profit projection, citing conflict in the Middle East, which has?driven fuel prices up, disrupted important air corridors, and exposed?the 'fragility of an industry operating on thin margins. In its annual report, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents over 370 airlines and accounts for about 85% global air traffic said that it expects to see a combined profit of $23 Billion in 2026. This is well below an earlier projection of $41 Billion, down from $45 Billion in 2025. Even though passenger demand is resilient, planes are flying fuller,...

Passenger Transportation Services

Etihad Airways purchases widebody aircraft, returns to pre-war capacity by June

In an interview, CEO Antonoaldo Neves stated that Etihad Airways will be ordering more widebody aircraft to meet its 8% increase in flights over the previous year by June 15. On Saturday, he said that Abu Dhabi's airline is purchasing widebody planes in the "double digits" but declined to provide any further details. Neves stated that Etihad has restored flights following the cuts made in March, as the U.S. and Israeli war against?Iran shifted regionally, increasing fuel prices. Etihad, he said, "doesn't plan to reduce?costs? by cutting flights for the time being." He said, "The largest cost we have is...

Passenger Transportation Services

Ethiopia Airlines to make decision on regional jets in the next three weeks

Ethiopian Airways will likely decide in the next three months on an order of 25 smaller commercial 'jets' to expand its local network. This was announced by CEO Mesfin TasewBekele late Saturday night during a meeting of airline executives held in Brazil. Africa's largest airline, with 147 aircraft in its fleet, is considering the Airbus A220 and Embraer E-2, as well as the Boeing 737 -MAX 7 which will be certified this year by the U.S. faa. The planes will be used for both domestic routes as well as around neighbouring countries. Bekele stated that there are some issues but...

Passenger Transportation Services

Boeing executive: China can get aftermarket support for its 200-jet aircraft order.

Boeing's top executive for services?said that Boeing can support China with aftermarket parts to back up a 200-planes order announced by the planemaker in response to a visit made by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing this year. Chris Raymond, Chief executive of Boeing Global Services said that China would have no problems obtaining parts for the deal, "if they are parts that we can sell globally." He also added that the planemaker had a warehouse in China. Kelly Ortberg, CEO of Boeing Global Services, said that China's 200-jet deal would be finalized later this year. It is only the...

Passenger Transportation Services

Alaska Air: Demand and fares may support cash flow in the second half despite fuel price shock

Alaska Air Group hopes to reinstate its financial guidance during its second-quarter earnings conference call, if fuel prices stabilize, said Chief Financial Officer Shane Tackett on Saturday. Volatility in jet fuel costs had forced the carrier's?full year outlook. Alaska is unwilling to restore guidance until they have more confidence about the outlook. Tackett, speaking at the annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association in Rio de Janeiro, said: "We would like to see more stability." Tackett says that the carrier is expecting a more difficult second quarter than they had expected before the recent fuel shock. However, he said...

Passenger Transportation Services

Southwest Airlines sticks with Boeing after MAX 7 delays push service back to 2027

Southwest Airlines' Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson said on Saturday that the airline expects Boeing's long delayed 737 MAX 7 to enter revenue service by 2027. The company is also focused on adding more aircraft types in order to reduce risks, rather than focusing on another type of aircraft. Watterson responded that Southwest Airlines was not interested in Airbus's A220. Watterson stated in an interview at the International Air Transport Association annual meeting in Rio de Janeiro that diversification does not come from a second type of fleet. "A second fleet type can increase risk." It doesn't make any sense...

Passenger Transportation Services

Breeze Airways, a US low-cost carrier, sets its sights on the 2027 IPO

?U.S. Breeze Airways, a low-cost domestic carrier, is planning an initial public offering in 2027. Its Chief Executive David Neeleman announced this on Saturday. He said that the carrier had considered an IPO earlier but decided to delay it due to the market 'conditions'. This was revealed during an interview on the eve of the annual summit of the International Air -Transport Association (IATA) in Rio de Janeiro. He said that "to have an IPO the market must cooperate and the industry must cooperate." Neeleman added that the low-cost carrier has steadily built up its financial stability since it launched...

Passenger Transportation Services

Rio Summit: Airline executives grapple with fuel crisis, fare tests

The Iran War is driving up fuel prices and disrupting airspace, while airlines try to cushion the impact with higher fares. The International Air Transport Association's (IATA) annual meeting, which takes place from June 6-8, coincides with the fuel crisis and another issue that airlines are unable to quickly solve: a lack of new aircraft. Boeing and Airbus delays in delivering jets have forced some carriers to continue using older, less-fuel-efficient aircraft for longer. This has increased maintenance costs and fuel costs, just as oil prices are rising. IATA, the trade association for more than 370 airlines that account for...

Passenger Transportation Services

Bloomberg News reports that Airbus is closing in on a widebody order by a Scandinavian airline

Bloomberg reported that Airbus was 'closing in' on a large-scale order from Scandinavian Airlines, SAS AB. The order includes a mixture of Airbus A330neos and more advanced A350s, with 15 to 20 aircraft being considered, according to the report. The airline is expected to 'finalise' the deal within the next few weeks, and it will receive the aircraft in the first decade of the new century. According to the report, "people familiar with the matter" were quoted. Airbus and 'SAS AB' did not respond immediately to a comment request. The report could not be verified. Reports said that the carrier...

Passenger Transportation Services

Brazilian airline Azul is planning further frequency reductions as the fuel shock bites

Brazilian airline Azul will increase 'capacity reductions' amid increased jet fuel prices related to the Iran War. The carrier will also continue reducing flying in order to save money and protect cash flow, according to CEO John Rodgerson. Rodgerson said that the largest companies in the industry were cutting capacity to better match demand and higher costs, and Azul was following suit. The company would go beyond the earlier cuts, as the conflict continues. "When we first made our?cuts, I thought that the war would have been over by now," said he in an interview Friday in preparation for a...

Passenger Transportation Services

Rio Summit: Airline executives grapple with fuel crisis, fare tests

The Iran 'war' is driving up fuel prices and disrupting?airspace?, while carriers are trying to cushion the impact with higher fares. The International Air Transport Association's (IATA) annual meeting, which takes place from June 6-8, coincides with the fuel crisis and another issue that airlines are unable to quickly solve: a lack of new aircraft. Boeing and Airbus delays forced many carriers into keeping older, less fuel efficient jets in service longer. This increased maintenance and fuel costs at a time when oil prices were rising. IATA, the trade association for more than 370 carriers that account for 85% of...

Ground Transportation

Ground Freight

Amtrak, the US passenger rail company, sets a record for ridership and cuts losses

Amtrak, the U.S. passenger rail company, said Tuesday that it had set records for revenue and ridership in a single year. It also cut its losses by 15 percent to $598 millions and is aiming for profitability by 2028. Amtrak is a major effort in rehabilitating the infrastructure of the Northeast corridor between Boston, Massachusetts and Washington. It is expanding service throughout the United States by purchasing new Acela trains with higher speeds and replacing regional trains from next year. Amtrak reported that in the twelve months ending September 30, it had 34,5 million trips made by customers, an increase...

Transportation

Whaleboat sinks into river in Congo, killing at least 107 people

According to a government internal report viewed by us on Friday, at least 107 people died when a whaleboat caught blaze in the west of Democratic Republic of Congo. In a memo, the Ministry of Social Affairs stated that 146 people were missing after the boat, which was a narrow double-ended open vessel, caught fire near Malange Village in Lukolela Territory on Thursday night. The note stated that rescue teams recovered 209 survivors after the vessel burnt and drifted downriver. The fire destroyed the cargo and 15 riverside houses. The search operations continued Friday, with community volunteers and naval personnel...

Ground Transportation

As inventories shrink, premiums for copper contracts on the nearby LME soar.

The premiums for copper contracts near London Metal Exchange have increased to their highest level since October 2022 due to low inventories, large cash contracts and warrants held by traders. The title document that confers ownership on metal is a warrant. Tom-next, also known as the premium or backwardation that is charged for purchasing copper tomorrow and then selling it the next day, is currently trading at above The price of a metric tonne is $48. This compares to a $2 discount at the beginning of the week. The premium for the cash Copper Contract over the Three-Month Forward It...

Passenger Ground & Sea Transportation