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Transportation
Ministry says that half of Kiev's capital is in darkness after Russian strikes
The energy ministry reported that the power was out in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv for about half of the residents on Tuesday after the latest Russian attacks on the country's electricity system. The situation in Kyiv is one of the worst - at the moment, 50%?of the consumers in the capital do not have electricity,"?the ministry stated on Telegram. In recent months, Russia has increased the number of attacks and intensity on Ukrainian energy and gas infrastructure. This includes both power generation facilities and transmission systems. Ukraine has three nuclear power stations that produce more than half of its electricity.
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Transport Infrastructure
Bangladesh has issued a new tender for the purchase of 50,000 tons rice, traders claim
European traders reported on Tuesday that Bangladesh's state grain buyer had issued a?another? international tender for the purchase of?50,000 metric tonnes of?rice. The deadline for price quotes is December 22. Bangladesh has announced a series of?rice tenders? to increase local supplies?in response?to rising domestic rice prices. Bangladesh has also issued a separate tender for 50,000 tonnes of rice. Price offers are due on December 15. Offers in another Bangladeshi rice tender, also for 50,000 tonnes, were also made on Tuesday. The new tender seeks to solicit price offers for nonbasmati parboiled?rice in CIF?liner?out terms which include ship unloading?costs for the
Passenger Transportation Services
Passenger Transportation Services
Airline warns green fuel goals are at risk due to a shortage of supply
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that the global airline industry will likely?miss? its targets for using green jet fuel in the next few years. It blamed fuel producers and regulators. SAF, which is primarily made from used or waste cooking oil, has the potential to reduce emissions by a significant amount compared with traditional jet fuel. It is still two to five time more expensive than traditional?fuel. IATA estimates that 2.4 million metric tonnes of SAF will be available by 2026, which is just 0.8% of the total fuel consumption. In 2021, the aviation industry committed to achieve...
Passenger Transportation Services
After farmers' protest, Heraklion Airport in Greece resumes flights
Aviation officials reported that flights to and from Heraklion Airport, on the Greek island of 'Crete, resumed early on Tuesday after protesters who had blocked the terminal, ended their protest. Three flights were canceled and several others delayed on Monday after a group?of?farmers stormed the runway in Heraklion and threw rocks at police. An anonymous Greek aviation official said that the airport reopened its operations on Tuesday at around 0800 GMT. Farmers have blocked traffic with thousands of trucks and tractors in dozens blockades during a nationwide protest triggered by delays in funding. After a corruption scandal, in which some...
Passenger Transportation Services
CMA CGM to pay bond with Air France-KLM stake
CMA CGM, the shipping group, is looking to raise approximately?325 millions euros ($378.3million) through a three-year bond that it can re-pay with its shares in Air France-KLM. CMA CGM can also repay the bond with cash or a combination of cash and Air France KLM shares. CMA CGM now holds 8.8% of Air France KLM's capital. It became a shareholder when it formed an air freight partnership in 2022. The cargo partnership was scrapped by the companies in early 2024, and CMA CGM’s share of that partnership expired in February. Ramon Fernandez, CMA CGM Chief Financial Officer, said that the...
Passenger Transportation Services
India orders IndiGo, the airline in crisis, to reduce flights by 5%
IndiGo has been ordered by India's aviation regulator to reduce its?planned flight schedules by 5%. The?airline had to cancel?atleast 2,000 flights due to poor roster planning last week. IndiGo was asked to submit a revised schedule on Wednesday by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. IndiGo was told by the regulator to reduce?flights? on routes that are operated by rival airlines and to avoid those where it has a monopoly. The notice didn't specify a deadline for the mandatory cuts. IndiGo didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. IndiGo was approved to depart 15,014 times per week during the...
Passenger Transportation Services
Trump Administration wants airports and airlines to offer healthier food options
By David Shepardson ARLINGTON (Virginia), Dec. 8 - On Monday, the Trump administration stated that it wanted airlines and airports offering healthier food options and exercise equipment, as well as?family-friendly amenities like playspaces, and nursing facilities. Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary, said at a Reagan Washington National Airport press conference that he called the majority of U.S. airlines CEOs to ask them how they could improve travel experiences. Duffy last week urged airlines not to serve salty pretzels or cookies with high calorie counts on board and to offer healthier options. Duffy responded on Monday that he couldn't do much to...
Passenger Transportation Services
Spirit Airlines sells Chicago airport gates to American Airlines at a cost of $30 million
Spirit Aviation has agreed to transfer two airport gates for $30 million to American Airlines after a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge for the Southern District of New York granted the company's Monday request. Spirit filed for bankruptcy a second-time in August as it struggled to deal with its dwindling reserves of cash and increasing losses. The company has rejected over 80 leases and left 14 airports. Spirit Airlines has decided to optimize its network and no longer need all four preferential gate at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. It will keep two gates, while American Airlines gets two gates. According to...
Passenger Transportation Services
Congress is considering requiring the US military to report near-misses and use helicopter safety alerts in close proximity to DC airport.
According to the annual defense policy legislation, which was unveiled on Sunday night, U.S. Military helicopters that are conducting training missions will need to send out alerts to commercial aircraft near Reagan Washington National Airport in order to avoid collisions. A Black Hawk Army helicopter that was on a training flight and not using the ADS-B safety system collided in January with an American Airlines regional plane near an airport outside Washington. 67 people were killed. The 3,000 page legislation would also require that the Pentagon disclose to Congress how many near misses military aircraft had with commercial planes in...
Passenger Transportation Services
India wants assurances from Beijing that it will not target Indians transiting through China
India demanded on Monday that China provide assurances to Indians transiting through Chinese airfields they will not be "selectively detained or harassed" after an Indian was detained in Shanghai last month. New Delhi lodged a strong complaint with Beijing about what it called an arbitrary detention at an airport of a citizen from India, saying that such incidents undermined efforts to restore ties. Indian media reported Prema Thongdok was told that her passport was invalid on November 21, because she was from the eastern state Arunachal Pradesh. She was held 18 hours and prevented from boarding the flight she had...
Passenger Transportation Services
Pegasus, a Turkish airline, signs a 154-million euro deal with Smartwings and Czech Airlines.
Pegasus Airlines, a Turkish airline, announced on Monday that it had agreed to buy Czech Airlines and its subsidiary Smartwings for a total of 154 million Euros ($180 million). The deal is part of an expansion plan. In a KAP statement, Pegasus announced that it had reached an agreement with Prague City Air for the purchase of its stakes in CSA and Smartwings, as well as its subsidiaries. The debts of the two companies were included in the 154 million euro figure. Pegasus stated that the strategic investment would help to expand Pegasus's global reach and strengthen its presence in...
Passenger Transportation Services
India's Indigo continues to struggle as travel disruptions cause flight delays
IndiGo shares fell 4.8% Monday. They are on track for their worst session in over a month, and have now lost seven sessions. A staffing crisis caused mass cancellations of flights and travel disruptions. IndiGo, India’s largest airline based on market share, is suffering from its worst operational crisis. A pilot shortage compounded with inadequate planning of new rules for crew working hours led to thousands of cancellations in the last week. This left passengers stranded at airports, and forced the Indian government to step in to stop a sharp rise in air fares. The civil aviation regulator gave the...
Passenger Transportation Services
Canada's Air Transat suspends flights after pilots union strikes notice
Transat AT, a Canada-listed tour operator, announced on Sunday that Air Transat, Canada, will suspend its flights from December 8 to 9 after receiving a 72-hour notice of strike by ALPA, the union which represents the 700 pilots at the company. Air Transat's pilots may begin their strike as early at 3:00 am. Air Line Pilots Association said that the strike would begin at 3:00 AM ET on December 10. The Canadian leisure carrier deemed the strike announcement "premature", given the progress made at the bargaining tables. It said that it had offered compromises including a salary increase of 59%...
Passenger Transportation Services
American Airlines asks for notices regarding the bankruptcy of Spirit Airlines
According to a court document, American Airlines has filed an appearance notice in the bankruptcy proceedings of Spirit Aviation and requested that all notices and documents be served going forward. Spirit filed for bankruptcy a second-time in August as it struggled to deal with its dwindling reserves of cash and increasing losses. The airline stated that it was looking at all possible options in its restructuring, including a merger and sale of the business. American Airlines filed a request in the Southern District Court of New York on December 5, requesting to receive all notices, including operating reports and plans...
Ground Transportation
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...
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...
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...