Europe

Spain's Transport Minister said Thursday that his government has increased spending on?the rail network after years underinvestment. He was being grilled by senators about a series of recent train accidents. One of them killed dozens. A high-speed train crash on January 18 in southern Spain left 45 dead, while a derailment in Catalonia two days later killed a driver. This led to a public and political scrutiny of rail spending, safety and maintenance. Oscar Puente was booed by opposition legislators shouting "resign", when he walked up to podium. He said that maintenance spending per km had increased 66% since 2017...

Air India announced on Thursday that it has ordered 30 Boeing narrowbody jets and converted a part of its A321neo A321XLR order with Airbus into 15 long-range A321XLR aircraft, adding momentum to Air India's turnaround effort. The announcement at India's Civil Air Show in Hyderabad is an unusual bright spot for?the formerly state-owned carrier, which has been under regulatory scrutiny since a deadly crash occurred last year?and after a series of safety lapses. Air India has ordered 20 737 MAX 8, and 10 737 MAX 10, from Boeing. This brings its total order with the U.S. planemaker to 250. Boeing...

EasyJet held discussions with Elon Musk’s Starlink to offer on-board Wi Fi, but the economics don't?stack-up?for British budget airline, Kenton Jarvis stated on Thursday. These comments follow a spat on social media between Musk and Ryanair's?Michael O'Leary in this month, over the cost to install?Starlink's WiFi service. O'Leary said that the fuel drag caused by 'Wi-Fi antennae' on planes would cost around $200 million per annum, and that only a few budget travellers were 'willing' to pay for the service. Jarvis said that "at the moment...where we are in our discussions with Starlink, economics don't quite work for us", though...

Wizz Air reported on Thursday a "third-quarter" operating loss that was in line with its expectations. This comes after it raised its capacity forecast earlier this week on the backs of additional Airbus deliveries as well as the return of previously ground aircraft. Shares and profits of the airline have been pressured by problems with Pratt & Whitney engines owned by RTX, and conflicts in the 'Middle East and Eastern Europe. In a press release, Chief Executive Jozsef Vasradi stated that "we are slowly recovering from the engine related aircraft grounding" and that in the next fiscal year we will...

EasyJet, a British budget airline, said that summer bookings are increasing, despite the fact that it reported an increased first-quarter loss, mainly due to expansion costs and lower winter prices. The company stated that the "traditionally busy January booking period" saw record numbers in terms of both revenue and volume, as bookings for summer 2026 continue to build. Winter is usually the slowest time for airlines. They rely on the spring and summer season to boost their earnings. EasyJet has reported an operating loss of 76 millions pounds ($105million) for the three-month period ending December 31 compared to a 40...

Aviation Capital Group (ACG), after receiving a large Boeing order recently, plans to continue?expanding. Its chief executive believes it is "critically important"?to remain among the top 10 aircraft lessees in the world as the industry consolidates. ACG ordered 50 Boeing MAX aircraft this month, evenly split between the 737-8 variant and 737-10. This deal brings the total number of aircraft that ACG owns, manages or has ordered to over 500. The lessor now has the largest order of MAX 10s. "I believe what you are seeing now is a much different ACG from the past, and that's because the industry...

Airbus announced on Thursday that it expects Indian airlines to triple the size of their fleets, to 2,250 aircraft, over the next decade. This is due to a resilient economic growth and an expanding middle class, as well as a surge in first-time flyers. Boeing's Wednesday outlook for India and South Asia projected that the airlines in this region, which is a major battleground between Airbus and Boeing, will require 3,300 new planes by 2044. IndiGo and Air India, the two largest domestic carriers in India, are closely watching the regional forecasts of the aircraft manufacturers. India is the world’s?third...

Air Canada announced Wednesday that it has expanded its winter 'network' to Europe and Latin America. The airline will begin new flights from December of this year to Ecuador's capital Quito using the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Airlines in North America are increasingly relying upon premium cabins, business travel and loyalty programs to increase their bottom line. Mark Galardo is president of cargo for Air Canada. "We will continue our'strategic' expansion into Latin America by taking advantage of the continued demand strength and cargo opportunity, and leveraging a brand new Airbus A321 XLR Base at our Toronto-Pearson Global Hub to enable...

Michael O'Leary, the CEO of Ryanair, said on Wednesday that the company expects to provide free Wi-Fi throughout its fleet within three to five years, as technology advances. This follows a public spat between Elon Musk and O'Leary over Starlink's internet service. Musk and O'Leary traded barbs after O'Leary, the head of the airline, ruled out Starlink for the 600 plus jets. Ryanair "is still in discussions" (with Starlink, Amazon Web Services, and Vodafone), but the current system requires a Wi-Fi?antenna on top of the aircraft, which creates "a fuel drag that will cost us around $200 million per year,"...

Adani Airports urged India on Wednesday to relax limits on how many seats foreign carriers can sell?on flights into and out of?the country, saying that the curbs were holding back its ambitions to become a world aviation hub. These limits are part of bilateral agreements to protect domestic carriers, but they have long frustrated overseas carriers. Dubai's Emirates has, for instance, said that demand is much higher than the weekly seat limits under the India-UAE agreement. Arun Bansal, Chief Executive of Adani Airports, said that "in the short-term" bilateral agreements are limiting growth in Indian aviation. He made this statement...

Delta Air Lines announced on Tuesday that it will purchase 31 Airbus widebody jets as part a long-term strategy to modernize its international fleet, and support future growth. Delivery will begin in 2029 on 16 A330-900s as well as 15 A350 900s. Delta announced that the deal includes a new order, the conversion of ten previously held options to?firm purchase' and options for an additional 20 widebody aircraft. Delta has been focusing on newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft to reduce fuel burn?and gradually replace older Boeing 767s and early-generation Airbus A330s following the retirement of its?777 fleet. Delta is focusing on...

JetBlue Airways on Tuesday posted a ?bigger-than-expected fourth-quarter loss, citing factors including inclement weather and the government shutdown, and the carrier's shares tumbled ?8% ?in afternoon trading. New York-based carrier said that the quarter was marked with a large number of unforeseeable external events. However, growth in premium categories helped boost revenue. U.S. carriers are looking to high-end product and loyalty programs to offset the tepid demand for main cabins in 2026. Joanna Geraghty, CEO of the airline, said on a earnings call that "macro-uncertainty" impacted industry demand and results last year. She added that this hindered the airline's efforts...

Western Balkans truckers' protests against restrictive EU entry laws have led to fuel shortages and losses of business as they blockaded cargo terminals at the borders of EU countries. Truckers in?Bosnia and Herzegovina?, Serbia?, Montenegro? and North Macedonia?launched protests against the EU’s new stricter entry/exit system, under which they could face detention and expulsion for exceeding Schengen's visit limits. The Montenegro energy ministry warned on Tuesday night that the country may face fuel shortages as a result of a blockade in the Adriatic port?of Bar. This is the main entry for fuel imports from overseas into Montenegro. Montenegro does not...

Montenegro may face fuel shortages as a result of regional protests and the blockade by truck drivers?of Bar's Adriatic port over restrictive EU entry laws?that could lead to their deportation if they exceed Schengen visit limitations. Montenegro has no own oil refinery and so the port of Bar is a major entry point for fuel imported from abroad. The port of Bar is also home to the largest fuel?depots in the country. The blockade of border crossings that began Monday in Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro, and North Macedonia has halted transportation along a crucial road corridor connecting?the EU to Turkey...

United Parcel Service, the largest package delivery company in the world, announced on Tuesday that it will close 24 additional facilities and eliminate up to 30,000 positions by 2026. This is due to its ongoing shift towards a'more profitable business. In midday trading, shares of the company rose 4%. The company also announced fourth quarter results that exceeded Wall Street expectations and forecasted a surprise increase in annual revenue. FedEx shares gained 2.6%. Carol Tome, CEO of the company, said in a conference with analysts that the company plans to reduce Amazon deliveries. "We are now in the last six...

Here are some company news and stories that could impact the markets in France and Benelux or even individual stocks. Ageas SA: Belgian and Dutch insurance group Ageas reported that its reinsurance unit Ageas Re had achieved inflows at a rate of 379 millions euros on 'January 1, 2026 compared with 206 million euro a year before. Its partnership activity in-force books now stand at 435million euros after the renewal campaign. ARGAN SA - French real estate firm Argan reported a full-year rental revenue of 212 millions euros, and recurring net profit of 154.8million euros. Its end-December Portfolio was valued...

Data from the London Metal Exchange showed that the share of China-made Copper among the available London Metal Exchange stock fell in December. This was due to the outflows?of the inventory in the LME registered?warehouses?in Asia. The percentage of copper stocks that are available - or those on warrant The data revealed that 79% of the - in LME's warehouses were of Chinese origin at the end last month. This was down from 85%?in November. A LME warrant is an ownership document. The absolute number of Chinese copper stock on the LME dropped to 87,475 tons by the end last...

PlusAI, the self-driving vehicle startup, announced on Monday that it would launch Southern Europe's very first program to test heavy-duty autonomous vehicles. It will also expand its partnership with Iveco Group and brand IVECO. Two IVECO S-Way truck equipped with PlusAI’s Level 4 autonomous driving.system will be tested on a 300-km route between.Madrid.and Zaragoza in 2026. A safety operator will also be onboard. Trials will be conducted with Spanish logistics operator Sese, and the regional government of Aragon. PlusAI in Silicon Valley, with offices in Europe and America, has been working with Iveco on joint research and tests for many...

Senalia, a grain export terminal operator, expects volumes to double in 2025/26 compared to last year due to a rebound in French harvest production and a brisk barley demand. Rouen, on the Seine River in Normandy, is France's main grain export hub. Rain-stricken 2024 reduced its export surplus, and port terminals were idle for part the season. Senalia, the cooperative-owned cereal exporter, has forecast that Senalia will load 3.8 millions metric tons in the current July-June period, up from just 1.8 million in 2020/25. This is exactly what it did two years ago. He said that 1.7 million tonnes of...

The Turkish distributor of China's Dongfeng Motor said that the company is in discussions with an investor to produce passenger cars in Turkey. Turkey is a large market with an annual sales volume of 1.4m vehicles. It also has a customs-free trade agreement with the EU. Chinese imports of cars to Turkey are subject to additional taxes, and Chinese automakers including Chery are seeking to set up production in Turkey with local partners. In a LinkedIn statement, Yavuz Cirak said, "We're working hard to begin production this year." Cirak is the CEO of Dongfeng’s local distributor,?Marcar, and was a part...

Goldman Sachs dominated again the league tables of global dealmaking for 2025. It took the?marketshare and top spot in an year marked by high stakes political dramas and ever larger mergers. Goldman's No. 1 ranking was boosted by the rise of $10 billion deals, of which there were 68 in the last year totaling $1.5 trillion - more than twice as much as the previous year. According to LSEG data, Goldman has the No. 1 ranking. The firm was involved in 38 of these 'deals', more than any other investment banking firm, and the total value of the deals it...

Goldman Sachs dominated again the league tables of global dealmaking for 2025. It took the market share and top spot in an year that was marked by high stakes political dramas and ever-larger mergers. Goldman's No. 1 ranking was boosted by the rise of $10 billion deals, which totaled $1.5 trillion last year, or more than double the previous year. According to LSEG data, Goldman ranked No. 1 in the world. The firm was involved in 38 of these deals, more than any other investment bank. Total volume of advised deals was $1.48 trillion. This was the most active period...

Snowfall in the Netherlands disrupted air and train?traffic on Monday. Hundreds of flights had to be canceled and trains around Amsterdam were at a standstill. ANP, a news agency, reported that Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, which is one of Europe's busiest hubs cancelled nearly 500 flights Monday morning. The airport was closed to all incoming traffic from 1200 GMT until then due to the snow. ANP reported that planes heading for Amsterdam were diverted to another airport. Schiphol was unable to be reached immediately for further comments. Snow and freezing temperatures had already forced the airport to cancel hundreds of flights...

Police reported that heavy snowfall caused a 20-kilometer (12.43-mile) tailback on an autobahn between Warsaw, the capital city of Poland, and Gdansk, a Baltic port town. The police report was made on Wednesday. According to the police, hundreds of people were trapped in their vehicles in freezing temperatures. However, the traffic was moving again by early Wednesday morning. Tomasz Marcowski, a police spokesperson in Olsztyn, said that the difficult situation started 'yesterday afternoon after 4 pm, when the first truck on the S7 route began to have difficulty approaching the slopes. This?led to an?overnight traffic jam that stretched approximately 20...