Latest News
-
American Airlines reduces some management and support roles
American Airlines announced on Tuesday that it would be eliminating a small number of management and staff positions in order to adjust its workforce. The airline stated that the layoffs primarily occurred at the Fort Worth headquarters, which will allow it to become more efficient throughout the organization. The carrier had previously stated that it planned to save more than 750 million dollars in costs by the end this year. This is thanks to its efforts to reengineer the business. In North America, airlines have reduced corporate roles in order to control costs and protect margins after the post-pandemic travel surge. Air Canada, a Canadian carrier, cut 400 management jobs, or about 1% of their workforce, last month. Southwest Airlines announced earlier this year that it would be cutting 15% of corporate jobs. This is the first time in 54 years that Southwest Airlines has made such a cut. American Airlines has not specified the number of positions it is eliminating.
-
Royal Air Maroc CEO: First aircraft to be delivered in 2028
Abdelhamid Addou, CEO of Royal Air Maroc, said that the Moroccan national carrier Royal Air Maroc expects to start receiving aircraft in 2028 from a major tender for fleet expansion. Addou stated that the tender, launched in April of 2024, is for 200 aircraft up to 2037. The company is currently evaluating Boeing, Airbus, and Embraer's offers. Addou, a reporter at the Arab Air Carriers' Organization General Assembly held in Rabat, said that the tender was currently being finalised. Addou did not disclose the exact value of the tender, but said that about 25% of the order would be wide-body aircraft. The remainder will be narrow-body jets. RAM is expecting to receive 15 new aircraft per year on average starting in 2028. Addou said that the airline would introduce up to thirteen aircraft each year in the interim. RAM has a strategy that includes expanding its fleet to become a regional hub carrier connecting Africa, Europe and North America via its Casablanca-based base. According to the ONDA, Morocco also launched a bid for a new terminal at its airport that will allow it to increase passenger capacity from 10.5 million to 35 millions by 2029. (Reporting and editing by David Goodman.)
-
FAA stops traffic at Washington DC Airport after threat against plane reported
The Federal Aviation Administration halted Tuesday traffic at Reagan Washington National Airport following a report of a threat made against a United Airlines flight. The FAA reported that operations had been halted due to a reported issue with security. Passengers have already left the plane and the aircraft has moved away from the terminal for the investigation. According to a person who was briefed in the matter, a threat against the plane had been made and the plane is being checked out of an abundance caution. United directed questions to the FBI. The FBI did respond immediately to a comment request. Reagan Airport is only 5 miles away from the White House, and the FAA has imposed special security restrictions in the airspace. FlightRadar24 - a flight tracker - said that the issue was caused by an unconfirmed terrorist threat made against a United Flight arriving from Houston. The airport is preparing to open just before 1 pm. ET. FlightAware reports that more than 160 flights were delayed at Reagan. Reporting by David Shepardson, Washington; additional reporting from Rajesh Kumar Singh, Chicago Editing by Franklin Paul & Chizu Nomiyama
-
A man accused of 'throwing things' at a federal agent after he threw a sandwich is on trial in Washington
A federal prosecutor told a jury on Tuesday that "You can't just go around throwing things." Sean Dunn faces a misdemeanor charge of assault in a case which has gained widespread attention since video of the incident went viral. Dunn was a Justice Department international case worker who became an unlikely symbol for resistance to Trump's law-enforcement surge in Washington, D.C., and was scorned Trump administration officials. Dunn has not pleaded guilty. John Parron, the prosecutor, said in his opening remarks that "you can't just throw things at people because you're angry." Dunn was captured on video on August 10 throwing a sub sandwich and shouting at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent who was on a crime prevention patrol in a Washington neighborhood. Trump had ordered an increase in federal law enforcement in Washington to combat what he described as an out of control crime problem, even though police statistics showed a decrease in violent crimes following an earlier rise. Julia Gatto was the lawyer representing Dunn. She told the jury that Dunn had done it. He threw it." Gatto, however, argued that it was impossible for the sandwich to harm or interfere with law enforcement. He called it a harmless gesture. "Mr. Gatto stated in her opening remarks that Dunn is very passionate about the policies which brought these officers to this place. He believes that recent immigration enforcement is racist. He believes that the militarization of federal law enforcement and the takeover by the government is fascism. Federal prosecutors initially sought a felony against Dunn but reduced the charge to a misdemeanor when a grand jury refused to approve the indictment. Gregory Lairmore testified, a 23 year veteran of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, that Dunn shouted at officers before throwing the sandwich. Lairmore testified to the jury that the sandwich exploded all over his uniform, smelling of "onions and mustard." He said he felt the impact from his ballistic vest.
-
Officials see'massive chaos' as a result of the shutdown, which may force US to shut down some airspace next week.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on Tuesday that if federal government shutdown continued another week, it could cause "mass confusion" and force him to shut down some national airspace for air traffic. This drastic measure could disrupt American aviation. "If you take us back to a week's time, Democrats, there will be mass chaos and mass flight delays." Duffy told a Tuesday press conference that you'll likely see a lot of cancellations and we may even close some parts of the airspace because we can't manage it. U.S. Aviation has already experienced tens and thousands of delays in the last month. These comments were the most dire warnings from the Trump administration about impending effects of rising air traffic control absences. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) delayed flights again on Tuesday as the shutdown entered its third week. Airlines reported that 3.2 million passengers were affected by flight delays or cancellations this week due to an increase in air traffic controller absenteeism. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said on Fox Business' "Varney & Co." that in the 30 largest airports of the FAA, "anywhere between 20 and 40% of our controllers don't come to work." Democrats accuse Republicans of not negotiating to reopen government with them. The shutdown has worsened the staffing shortages. 13,000 air traffic control officers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents have been forced to work without pay. In 2019, disruptions to air travel forced lawmakers to end a 35-day shutdown of the government during Donald Trump's inaugural term. Duffy said he would shut down the U.S. Aviation System if the shutdown made it too dangerous to travel. The FAA reported that on Friday, nearly half of America's busiest airports were facing shortages of air traffic control in the worst single day since the shutdown started. The agency reported that 80% of the air traffic controllers in New York were absent on Friday. David Shepardson, David Gregorio and David Shepardson contributed to the report.
-
Hertz soaring after swinging third-quarter profits
Hertz Global reported a profit for the third quarter after almost two years, thanks to used car sales and an updated fleet of rental vehicles. The company's shares rose by 42% on Tuesday. In order to combat a decline in rental activity, the company has tried to diversify its operations by overhauling its vehicle fleet. It also offers a marketplace for online car purchases. In recent years, a slump in demand led it to sell off a large portion of its electric vehicle fleet and replace them with gas-powered vehicles. Hertz sold off a majority its Teslas in the past year citing increased repair costs. Hertz earned an adjusted 12 cents per diluted share in the third quarter. This compares to analysts' estimates of 2 cents a share, according LSEG. Its quarterly revenue was down 4%, to $2.5 billion compared with a year earlier. However, it still exceeded estimates of $2.4billion. Nathan Gomes, Bengaluru. Edited by Shreya Biwas.
-
Lula: CELAC summit will discuss Venezuela and US military presence
The Brazilian President Luiz inacio Lula da silva said on Tuesday he would discuss Venezuelan issues and the increased U.S. presence in Latin America during the CELAC Summit at the end of this month. He told reporters in Belem, ahead of the COP30 Climate Summit: "The CELAC Meeting only makes sense if we are going to talk about the U.S. Warships." In recent months the U.S. has increased its military presence in Caribbean, and U.S. president Donald Trump said his administration would carry out strikes on drug-related targets in Venezuela. Lula stated that Venezuela has a political issue that must be addressed in the political arena. He added that he told Trump during a recent encounter that Latin America was a region that is peaceful, not violent. (Reporting and writing by Isabel Teles, Lisandra Paraguassu, Katy Daigle)
-
Lula says Brazil will seek independent probe into 'disastrous' Rio police raid
The Brazilian president Luiz inacio Lula da silva said on Tuesday that his government would push for an independent investigation into the raid by police last week, which killed 121 people including four police officers. He told reporters in Belem, ahead of the COP30 summit on climate change: "It is important to know under what circumstances it occurred." "The judge ordered arrest warrants, not mass killings - yet there was mass killing." The October 28 operation was the deadliest ever in Brazil's recent history. The operation on October 28 targeted the Comando Vermelho, a gang that controls drug trafficking in a number of favelas (poor, densely-populated neighborhoods) woven into the city's hills. Rio de Janeiro state officials described it as a success. Claudio Castro, the state governor, said that the "only true victims" were the officers who were killed and all others were criminals. The raids highlighted a complex scenario for Lula. A leftist, Lula has tried to reconcile growing public support and international concerns about human rights violations. "The truth is, some people may view the operation's death toll as a success. Lula stated that he believed the state's response was disastrous. (Reporting and writing by Katy Daigle, Lisandra Paraguassu, Paul Simao; editing by Gabriel Araujo)
Southern China courts, schools and schools are affected by Tropical Storm Podul
Tropical Storm Podul, which hit Taiwan on Wednesday and left 143 injured, poured torrential rainfall on southern China on Thursday. Hong Kong hospitals, schools, and courts were also affected.
Jimmy Lai's hearing was cancelled when the authorities issued their "black" warning for rainstorms, and supporters queued outside under umbrellas. The medical authorities announced that all outpatient clinics will remain closed until the rain has stopped.
Flightmaster data showed that airports in the region experienced cancellation rates around 20% as Podul pounded parts of China's provinces of Guangdong and Hunan with over 70 mm (2.76 inch) of rain per hour.
Analysts warn that extreme weather events are increasingly a threat to the growth of the second largest economy in the world.
China has experienced record rains in the north and south, as well as heatwaves that have lasted for weeks in its interior. The government announced on Thursday 430 million yuan (59.9 millions) in new funding for disaster relief. This brings the total amount allocated since April up to at least 5,8 billion yuan.
Chim Lee is a senior analyst with the Economist Intelligence Unit. He said that authorities need to be prepared. There's increasing evidence that tropical cyclones are becoming more intense and moving slower.
China's south coast is ripe for all sorts of economic disruptions. The majority of institutions in the area are well-prepared, but it seems that cyclones are intensifying in a more northerly direction. These places should keep a closer eye on things."
Podul, a weakened tropical storm that had weakened from a typhoon after pounding Taiwan with winds up to 191 kph 118 mph on Wednesday left one person dead and scores of others injured, made landfall at 0030 local time (1630 GMT on Wednesday).
Its residual vortex is threatening to cause havoc in the south of China, which was still reeling last week from the heaviest rainfall in decades. The vortex moves north at speeds between 30-35 km/h (19-22 mph).
Seven people died in Guangdong after a record rainfall of 622.6mm (24.5") fell from August 2-6. This is almost three times more than the average for August.
Last Tuesday, Hong Kong experienced the heaviest rainfall in August since 1884.
State media reported that authorities in Guangdong’s Meizhou shut down all highways due to heavy rains. The high-speed rail linking Shenzhen with Hangzhou, in eastern Zhejiang Province, about 1,200 km (745 mi) away, has also been suspended. $1 = 7.1705 Chinese Yuan Renminbi (Reporting from Beijing by Joe Cash, Jessie Pang and Ben Blanchard; Editing done by Michael Perry and Lincoln Feast)
(source: Reuters)