Benelux

US and European airline shares rise amid hopes for an Israel-Iran truce

On Tuesday, shares of U.S. airlines and European airlines increased while oil prices fell on the expectation that a ceasefire would be maintained between Israel and Iran. Air France KLM and British Airways' owner, Lufthansa, all saw gains between 6-10%, while Wizz Air grew by 3.2%. In the morning, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines all saw gains of about 4%. The U.S. president said that Israel has stopped its attack after his order to maintain a ceasefire of several hours. Iranian and Israeli media both reported that Israel had launched new airstrikes on Iran just minutes after
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Middle East flights suspended by airlines
Louis Dreyfus will reopen a rival's former grain terminal in Indiana

Louis Dreyfus Company, based in Rotterdam, announced on Monday that it will reopen an abandoned U.S. grain terminal in Burns Harbor Indiana, at the southern end of Lake Michigan, in early 2026. This will provide the global commodities trader with export market access through the Great Lakes Seaway and St. Lawrence Seaway. The facility, built in 1979 by Cargill, a rival grain merchant, has been closed since 2023 when it ceased operating there because of difficult market conditions. Privately-held Dreyfus is the "D" in the ABCD quartet of global grains trading giants, along with Cargill, Archer-Daniels-Midland and Bunge Global. The
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Middle East flights suspended by airlines
Middle East flights suspended by airlines

Israel's attacks against Iran has prompted international carriers to stop flights to certain Middle East destinations because of airspace closures and safety issues. The conflict has entered a new phase after the U.S. invasion on Iranian nuclear sites Some airlines have cancelled flights to hubs such as Dubai is Qatar's Doha. Here are some airlines that have canceled flights from and to the region. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, announced that it had cancelled all flights from and to Tel Aviv up until September 30. AEROFLOT Aeroflot, a Russian airline, has announced that it has cancelled flights between Moscow &
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After the US strike on Iran, airlines are re-evaluating Middle East cancellations

Commercial airlines in the world weighed how long they would suspend Middle East flights on Monday as the conflict, which had already cut off many major flight routes, entered a new stage after the U.S. launched an attack against key Iranian nuclear sites. Tehran also vowed that it would defend itself. Since Israel's strikes against Iran began on June 13, the airspace that stretches from Iran, Iraq and the Mediterranean Sea has been virtually empty. Airlines have diverted, cancelled and delayed flights due to safety concerns and airspace closures. The aviation industry's concern about the region has escalated with the
After US strikes on Iran, airlines are re-evaluating Middle East cancellations

Transport Infrastructure

French and Benelux stocks: Factors to watch

Here are some company news and stories that could impact the markets in France and Benelux or even individual stocks. Aeroports de Paris - French airport management company ADP announced on Monday a 3.3% increase in traffic in its Paris airports for May. Covivio : French real-estate group Covivio announced on Monday that it had taken full ownership of CB21 Tower in Paris La Defense. EU/RUSSIA - The European Commission will propose on Tuesday an EU ban on imports of Russian natural gas and liquefied gas until the end of 2027. Legal measures are being used to ensure that the...

Transport Infrastructure

Interparking acquires Spanish parking operator Saba with EU approval

In a Monday statement, the European Commission announced that it had approved Interparking of Belgium's acquisition of Spanish parking operator Saba Infrastructuras. The Commission stated that this transaction will not cause any competition concerns as it has a limited impact on the market where these companies operate. The companies, which have been in discussions to combine their businesses to become a major European actor since November 2022, announced plans to merge last October without disclosing the value of the transaction. The statement said that the Belgian insurer AG property subsidiary would remain as the majority and controlling shareholder of the...

Transport Infrastructure

Four projects on the east coast are preparing Australia to import LNG as early as 2027.

Australia may import liquefied gas (LNG), based on the progress of projects at import terminals along its east coast. This would be to meet potential shortages. The competition regulator of the country has stated that a shortfall may be a long-term problem for the east coast due to a higher demand and structural decline. Here is a list four projects that are being developed on the East Coast. These projects consist of floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) which will send the gas back via pipelines to the mainland. Squadron Energy is the operator of the Port Kembla Energy Terminal....

Transport Infrastructure

Pre-tariff US traffic boosts revenue from the Ferrovial Highway

Ferrovial, a motorway and airports company, reported a first-quarter surprise revenue boost from freight traffic on US toll roads and Canadian toll roads, likely related to imports anticipating sweeping U.S. Tariffs, according to its CFO. The Spanish company's surge in revenue despite the adverse winter weather is part of a larger trend of increased commercial activities at U.S. roads and ports that predated U.S. president Donald Trump's announcement on April 1, 2017 of new tariffs. Many of these remain suspended. Ferrovial reported last week that its first-quarter revenues from its North American toll roads business rose by 14%. This shows...

Transport Infrastructure

Airbus talks to Malaysian Airlines about its A220 planes

According to Bernama, the state news agency, Airbus has been in talks with Malaysian airlines about its A220 plane, according to a senior company executive. Anand Stanley is the Asia-Pacific President of Airbus and he said that the A220 has potential in Malaysia where 150 other Airbus commercial planes are currently operating. The agency also said it expects to receive 400 more orders for delivery in the future. Stanley was quoted as saying, "We see Malaysians have a large potential for demand." We are only in the early stages of discussions, but I can't comment on a timeline, we hope...

Transport Infrastructure

Next week, Macron will visit Vietnam to discuss satellites and nuclear power

Officials said that Emmanuel Macron, the French President, is expected to discuss infrastructure and energy with Vietnam's top leaders during a visit to the ex-colony next week. During this state visit dozens of agreements may be signed. A larger tour through Southeast Asia includes the first visit to Vietnam in almost a decade by a French President. Macron will arrive in Hanoi, Indonesia, on 25 May, and then finish his tour in Singapore on 30 May, when he speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue - Asia's premier defence conference. The Elysee Office of Macron said that dozens were being prepared for...

Transport Infrastructure

Investcorp invests $500 million in the expansion of Oman’s Port of Duqm

Investcorp, the Middle East’s largest alternative investment company, announced on Monday that it had entered into an agreement to invest $550 million in the expansion of the Port of Duqm, Oman. This is part of its ongoing investments in regional infrastructure assets. Investcorp's infrastructure platform Investcorp Aberdeen will be a partner in the project along with a consortium made up of the Port of Duqm Company and the DEME Group, as well as the Port of Antwerp Bruges. Duqm Port, located in Oman on the southwest coast, is close to major oil and gas developments. It serves as a hub...

Transport Infrastructure

Investcorp invests $500 million in the expansion of Oman’s Port of Duqm

Divers die in the initial operations to recover Lynch’s yacht

Local police reported that a diver died Friday, during the preliminary operations to retrieve the superyacht of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch from the waters near the coasts of northern Sicily. The 56-metre (184-foot-long) Bayesian was docked near Palermo in the small Porticello port, when, in August of last year, it was hit by a strong downburst. This caused seven deaths, including Lynch's daughter Hannah. Police said that the accident occurred on Friday while the diver was under water in Porticello. They added that the exact cause of death is still unknown. It is expected that the attempt to lift...

Oman, Netherlands and Germany reach agreement on liquid hydrogen import corridor

Tata Steel Nederland announced on Wednesday that major industrial groups from Oman and Germany, as well as the Netherlands, have signed an agreement to develop the first liquid hydrogen import corridor in the world. The group announced in a press release that the corridor would link the ports of Duqm, Oman, Amsterdam, Netherlands, and the key logistic hubs of Germany, including Duisburg. The aim is to allow the importation of liquid hydrogen that complies with RFNBO (renewable fuel of non-biological source) into Europe. Hans van den Berg is the CEO of Tata Steel Nederland. He said: "As a large buyer,...

Ukraine reports four deaths in Russian attack on grain ship in Odesa port

The Ukrainian authorities reported that a Russian missile strike on Tuesday destroyed a grain ship in the Black Sea Port of Odesa and killed four people. Oleksiy Kuleba, Ukraine's Deputy Premier, said that a ballistic missile hit the MJ Pinar Bulk Carrier, which was loading wheat to Algeria. The attack killed four Syrians, injured another Syrian, and also injured a Ukrainian. Kuleba stated that "Russia is attacking Ukraine’s infrastructure, including its ports, which play a role in ensuring food security around the world." The global grain merchant Louis Dreyfus Company stated in an email that the vessel was loading at...

Boskalis, a Dutch maritime services provider, will salvage a UK ship that has been damaged by stricken tanker

A spokesperson confirmed earlier Dutch media reports that Dutch marine provider Boskalis would salvage the U.S. flagged tanker Stena Immaculate after it was hit by a container vessel off northeast England Monday. He was unable to give an exact timeframe for the salvage operation but said that four ships carrying extinguishing agents and foam were already on their way to put out the fire. Boskalis spokesperson did not specify which company would salvage Solong the other container vessel involved in the collision. Stena Immaculate, anchored at the time of the incident, was hit by the smaller container vessel Solong. This...

Vopak will expand Thailand terminal to import US ethane from 2029

Global independent storage operator Vopak announced on Thursday it would expand its joint venture terminal in Thailand so that the state energy company PTT Global Chemical can import U.S.-made ethane starting in 2029. China and other petrochemical companies in Asia are looking to import more ethane from the U.S. Shale Gas Boom to diversify their raw materials supply, as well as to lower costs. According to Vopak, Thai Tank Terminal, a joint venture of PTTGC Gulf Energy Development, and Vopak, will build 160,000 cubic meters of tank storage at Map Ta Phut in Rayong. The JV that provides storage and...

Passenger Transportation Services

Iberia, the Spanish airline, plans to expand its long-haul fleet from 70 to 80 aircraft

Iberia plans to expand its fleet of long haul aircraft from 45 to 70 by the middle next decade. The Spanish airline announced this in a strategy plan published on Wednesday. Iberia, owned by International Consolidated Airlines (Ica), plans to invest 6 milliards d'euros ($6,90 billion) in the plan. Iberia CEO Marco Sansavini said to reporters that 70% the investment required for the expansion of its fleet will be funded by the company's own cash flow. He said that the company would also be adding four short-haul aircraft in 2026-2027. Sansavini stated that "all our fleet will be Airbus aircraft,...