Logistics News

CANADA-CRUDE-Discount on Western Canada Select at widest point since March

The discount between the North American benchmark West Texas Intermediate futures and Western Canada Select futures has widened to its largest point since early March. WCS for Hardisty, Alberta delivery in January settled at $13.55 per barrel below U.S. benchmark WTI according to brokerage CalRock. This compares to $13.15 a barrel on Monday. The WCS discount recently increased after spending most of the year in the $9-$11 price range. This is due to the Trans mountain?pipeline extension which has given Canadian oil producers?additional capacity for export. * Some analysts attribute the widening differential to seasonality while others point out that
Transportation

Shell announces temporary shutdown of two Gulf of Mexico offshore platform
After the attack on a passenger, US threatens to cut off funding for Chicago Transit

U.S. Transportation Department threatened on Tuesday to withhold funding for Chicago 'trains and buses' and demanded increased police protection citing an attack and burning of a woman, 26 years old, last month. In letters sent to Illinois Governor JB Prattker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, the?Federal Transit Agency warned that if they did not develop a plan for reducing assaults against transit workers and passengers as well as addressing unsafe conditions, federal funding could be lost. Similar letters were sent by the department to 'New York' and 'Boston, expressing concerns over transit issues. Chicago is also heavily Democratic, as are
Passenger Transportation Services

Trump Administration waives $16.7 Million in fines for American Airlines due to wheelchair issues
USDOT: Passengers affected by A320 software updates are not entitled to compensation.

The U.S. Transportation Department announced Tuesday that airlines who delayed or cancelled U.S. flights due to a government emergency directive to update software on 'Airbus A320 aircraft last'month were not required by law to provide hotel accommodations, meals, or other benefits to affected passengers. Major airlines have agreed to offer such benefits if a cancellation or a significant delay occurs due to circumstances that are within their control. USDOT stated that the Airbus A320 problem -- which was a Federal Aviation Administration requirement for immediate action -- did not trigger this requirement. After a JetBlue A320 was involved in an
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.
Boeing deliveries fall 17% in November, trail Airbus

Poland and Baltics look to protect energy assets after undersea cable cuts

The Baltic states are working with Poland to protect the energy facilities they need as they decouple their power grids from Russia, Lithuania's energy minister told Reuters, following damage to undersea cable televisions in the area. Polish and baltic state-run power grid operators are working on an arrangement to guarantee the smooth running of the decoupled system, and how to repair it if needed, Zygimantas Vaiciunas said in an interview...

Transport Infrastructure

Greek farmers protest EU funding delays by blocking borders, airports and roads

A nationwide protest on Monday, triggered by delays in funding, saw Greek farmers shut down an airport on Crete's island. They also blocked roads and crossed the border and threw rocks at police. Local media reported that protesters had deployed thousands of trucks, tractors and other vehicles in at least twenty blockades throughout the country. Police used tear gas to disperse a group protesting farmers at Heraklion Airport in Crete who were throwing stones and forcing their way onto runway. This halted air traffic. A second group, near the Chania Airport in Crete, smashed windows of police cars with shepherd's...

A powerful 7.6-magnitude quake strikes Japan's Northeast region

The powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.6 that struck Japan's northeast late Monday prompted tsunami warnings and evacuation orders. The Japan Meteorological Agency said that a tsunami of up to three metres (10 feet), could strike Japan's northeastern coastline after an earthquake estimated at 7.6 magnitude occurred offshore, at 11:15 pm (1415 GMT), according to the JMA. JMA reported that tsunami warnings had been issued for Hokkaido and Aomori prefectures, as well as Iwate. A 40cm tsunami was observed in Aomori’s Mutsu Ogawara port and Hokkaido’s Urakawa port before midnight. The agency said that the epicentre was located 80 km (50...

Greek farmers block the borders, airports and roads to protest delayed EU farm subsidy

On Monday, Greek farmers blocked roads and disrupted traffic in the country as they intensified their protests after the European Union delayed subsidies due to investigations into corruption. Local media reported that thousands of trucks took part in at least twenty blockades. KyriakosMitsotakis - whose government has suffered from a decline in popularity due to the dispute - urged the farmers to stop the blockades. He said that the government was open to dialogue. In February, European prosecutors alleged that thousands farmers, with the help of state employees, had faked land ownership and livestock ownership over years to qualify for...

Media report: Australia signs contract with Boeing to purchase six Ghost Bat drones as an initial order.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Australia will announce Tuesday that it has signed a contract worth A$1 billion (663,30 million dollars) with Boeing Australia for the production of six Ghost Bat air drones. The Australian Defence Force has said that the Ghost Bat, or MQ-28A, is a development aircraft designed by Boeing Australia and the first military aircraft to be designed in Australia for more than 50 year. The announcement coincides between talks between Australian Defence and Foreign Ministers and United States in Washington as the U.S. pushes its Indo Pacific allies to increase defence expenditure. Ghost Bat will...

Argentina's Railway Privatization Dreams Face a Long Road Ahead

Argentina, a global food supplier, is planning to boost its grain and mineral exports through privatization, and a modernization program of its railway network. Industry leaders claim that this will reduce freight costs in regions located far from ports by half. The first tender will be for the Belgrano Cargas, which runs the three biggest freight train lines in the country. The initiative, which will be launched in early 2019, could increase production of global commodities like soybeans and corn. It also includes copper and lithium. The project could also help transport sand from Vaca Muerta in Argentina's Southwest. The...

IndiGo's meltdown brings India's airline industry into focus

Air India, SpiceJet and other airlines have come under the spotlight for introducing extra flights in response to a sudden increase in demand after IndiGo, a market leader cancelled flights due to sever crew shortages. This left thousands of passengers stranded. Here's a look at Indian Airlines by Numbers: INDIGO IndiGo, India's largest airline with a market-share of 65% at the end September and a fleet of 417 aircraft. There are more than 2,200 flights per day connecting 90 domestic and 41 foreign destinations. AIR INDIA The Air India Group has a combined 302 aircraft fleet, including 115 for its...

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...