Transport Infrastructure

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Passenger Transportation Services

EasyJet rejects offer from Castlelake and holds out for higher bid, reports FT

The Financial Times reported that EasyJet and its investors are holding out for at least PS600,000,000 ($794.46 Million) more from U.S. suitor Castlelake. This was based on the knowledge of people who were involved in the negotiations. The airline said that the $6.3 billion offer from the U.S. Investment?firm undervalued its business. Castlelake had made its offer public the previous day. The FT quoted a large investor who said that easyJet would be willing to accept an offer at or above PS7 per share, which would put the company's value at around PS5.3 billion. Castlelake stated in a Monday morning...

Passenger Transportation Services

European shares rise on US-Iran talk; UK's Starmer steps down

Investors viewed the latest round of U.S. - Iran?negotiations as a sign of progress toward a resumption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and also the resignation of British PM Keir starmer. After two sessions of declines, the STOXX 600 closed up 0.6%. Barclays, NatWest, and Standard Chartered all made gains in the UK. They were up 3,9%, 4%, and 1,3%, respectively. The banking index as a whole rose 1.4%. Starmer's Monday resignation announcement paves the path for what is expected to be an orderly transition of power to Labour Party leader Andy Burnham. Burnham could become Britain's 7th...

Passenger Transportation Services

There are some flights to the Middle East that have resumed but there is still disruption.

Some airlines have resumed flights to certain parts of the Middle East, as diplomatic efforts intensify to resolve the conflict that erupted after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. However, many carriers continue to suspend flights, causing global travel disruptions. The following is a list of the current status of flights by alphabetical order. AEGEAN AIRLINES The largest Greek airline has cancelled flights between?Thessaloniki and Tel Aviv up until June 26. Flights to Dubai and Erbil are cancelled until September 30, and flights from?Baghdad and?Baghdad?until August 31. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, has canceled flights to Tel Aviv and Dubai...

Passenger Transportation Services

The Ukrainian Economy Ministry proposes a 30% increase in rail freight rates

The Ukrainian economy ministry has proposed to increase state railway 'Ukrzaliznytsia ''s freight rates by 30% starting August '1'' in order to stabilize the company's finances. However, steelmakers and farmers have warned that this may make them less competitive. Rail remains an important part of Ukraine’s logistics network. It carries both freight and passengers. The government is under pressure to increase its cash flow as it tries to restructure debt. Ukrzaliznytsia's CEO Oleksandr Ptsovskyi said this month that his firm must?increase its tariffs this year by at least 45 percent to restore its finances. In a weekend note, the economy...

Passenger Transportation Services

Singapore Airlines plans debut 5-year dim sum bond

Singapore Airlines announced on Monday that it plans to sell its first benchmark five-year dim sum bond, a offshore yuan debt issued outside of mainland China. Four banks have been hired to help arrange the deal. The benchmark size of offshore yuan bonds is usually 1 billion yuan (147.6 millions dollars), which means they are large enough to be traded easily by investors. Singapore Airlines hasn't revealed the size of its planned expansion. The airline?said that it tapped Bank of China, DBS HSBC Standard Chartered and Standard Chartered to help with the bond sale. ? The decisions were reported earlier...

Passenger Transportation Services

Wall Street Journal, June 22,

These are the most popular?stories from the Wall Street Journal. ? This information has not been verified and we cannot vouch for their accuracy. China has added 10 defense contractors and two rare earth producers to its export control list. Pakistan and Qatar, who are acting as mediators in the talks between Iran and the U.S., have confirmed that the two countries had agreed to establish a'mechanism to ensure the termination of military operations?in Lebanon. Castlelake, a U.S. investment company, said that easyJet's board had rejected its third 4,74 billion pound ($6.26 billion),?takeover offer. The firm encouraged shareholders to seriously...

Passenger Transportation Services

Investors weigh U.S. Iran talks as they muzzle European shares

Investors waited for any signs of progress in the latest round of U.S. and Iran negotiations to resume shipping through the Strait of Hormuz - a vital artery for the global oil trade. Brent Crude prices fell 1.6% and traded below $80 a barrel after mediators Qatar and Pakistan announced that Washington and Tehran agreed on a roadmap and measures to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran declared the waterway closed on Sunday, casting doubt on its sustainability. By 0711 GMT, the pan-European STOXX 600 Index was up 0.05% at 635.92. Tech stocks led the sectoral gains with...

Passenger Transportation Services

Fuel relief from the Iran deal may keep airline ticket prices high.

Oil prices are expected to fall after the interim U.S. Iran peace agreement, but it is unlikely that passengers will see any immediate relief. Carriers may be able to maintain fares above those of pre-war. The U.S. market is the most obvious example. Fuel costs have risen this year, but fare increases are still behind. Domestic seat growth is also limited. This gives airlines the opportunity to use lower fuel costs to rebuild margins, rather than reverse recent price hikes. U.S. Jet Fuel Spot Prices were $2.85 per gallon on 17th June, down from a high of $4.88 in early...

Passenger Marine Transportation

Qatar brings LNG tankers into Hormuz despite shipping slowdown

Shipping data revealed that four liquefied?gas tanks controlled by Qatar headed into the Strait of Hormuz despite a drop in?ship traffic following Iran's announcement over the weekend that the waterway had been closed again. Shiptracking data by analytics firm Kpler revealed that the tankers - Wadi Al Sadd, Mekaines Al Sadd, and Mesaimeer – entered the strait via Iran for the first since the U.S./Israeli war against Iran began. QatarEnergy's LNG exports, which have been severely curtailed since the beginning of the war on February 28, didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. LSEG data shows that the dry...

Transportation

AirAsia X CEO: Prices for jet fuel have fallen since June 15, resulting in a reduction of fares.

Bo Lingam said that the CEO of Malaysian budget airline AirAsia?X, has announced a 5% reduction in fares since June 15. The airline will continue to monitor the situation on a weekly basis as jet fuel prices fall, he added. As the U.S. - Iran war wreaked havoc on travel around the world, the airline has used the last three months to reduce underperforming flights, shift the demand, and renegotiate all contracts with vendors and lessors. Lingam said to reporters that they were still renegotiating and restructuring all of their contracts. He added that "week by week we will be...

Passenger Transportation Services

Iran claims to have closed the Strait of Hormuz again

After Iran announced that it had "again" closed the Strait of Hormuz, citing Israel and the United States, the number of ships passing through this waterway dropped sharply. Shipping data revealed that there were 'violations' of the interim peace agreement. Kpler data showed that five vessels crossed the Strait of Gibraltar on Sunday, down from 26 ships seen a day before. Three Very Large Crude Carriers, each carrying 2,000,000 barrels of Saudi crude oil and fuel oil, were among the vessels. One of them was headed to Japan. Data may exclude vessels who turn off their transponders when travelling through...

Passenger Transportation Services

Nine people are still in critical condition following fatal UK train accident

The 'driver' of one of the trains was killed in the crash that occurred on Friday near Bedford, approximately 60 miles (100km) north of London. Around 5.15 pm local time (16:15 GMT), two passenger trains headed for London collided on Friday. One of the drivers of the two trains died at the scene. British Transport Police Chief Constable, Lucy D'Orsi, provided an update of those injured in the crash that occurred on Saturday. She said more than eighty people were hospitalized on Friday evening. She said that as of "this morning", 28 people were still in the hospital and nine...

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